Better Now?
by Cas di Angelo
Summary: Everyone has feelings, and they all express them differently. Electra just keeps them to herself; mad, depressed, or happy, she stays silent. Because apparently talking is a bad thing. Rated for future content. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

A small tortoise-shell kitten shivered in the intense cold. Her mother had disappeared; leaving her huddled against a humongous wooden fence. She mewed loudly, hoping someone—some_thing—_would hear her. A strong blast of wind hit the fence, forcing the kitten's eyes shut and making her shake violently. She thought back to the past few days, wondering what she did wrong. She _had_ to have done something wrong; otherwise, why would her mother leave her alone in the freezing weather?

_Trotting next to her mother, Electra was chatting non-stop about anything that came to mind. "And when the birds flew away, there was no bread left at all! Can you believe that? The birds ate all the bread! The human girl acted like it was a good thing, so she threw more bread, and so the birds came back and started eating again." She paused to take a breath. "Why do you think humans give the birds food, and not us? I think we're lots better than birds, and we are so much more fun to play with. I just don't understand why—"_

"_Ellie!" Electra's mother said sharply. She waited until Electra was sitting still and silent. "Are you done talking yet?" Electra thought for a moment then nodded her head. She didn't like the tone in her mother's voice; it usually meant that she was not happy. Her mother, Nina, sighed and continued along the path, sniffing for anything to eat. Electra shrugged and skipped after her mother._

'Maybe she didn't like me talking so much,' Electra thought. She licked ice off her whiskers and blew into her paws. So talking a lot was not something good to do, and it made everyone else want her to go away. She burrowed a bit under the hard snow, surprised to find the wind could not reach her there. She curled up, fluffing her dark fur out as much as she could, and fell asleep.

…

Electra woke up to the sound of paws crunching through the snow. 'Mother!' she thought. She pushed her head above the snow, looking around for her mother's black-and-brown coat. Instead, she saw an old tom, whose fur was long and scraggly. But, oh it looked so warm. She didn't think twice. She ran up to the tom, leaning against him and rubbing all the ice off her tiny limbs. If the tom was surprised about her sudden appearance, he didn't show it. He merely picked her up and let her snuggle into his long fur.

The tom carried her into a junkyard, and with every cat Electra saw, the further she hid in the old tom's fur. By the time he was in a large clearing, she was barely visible; the only indication she was there was the trembling patch of fur on the old tom's chest. He began speaking, and his voice seemed to warm Electra's tiny body from the deep rumbles.

"Jennyanydots," he said. Electra peeked out to see who that was. A kind-looking queen came forward. _That doesn't mean anything,_ Electra thought. Her mother had looked kind. "Will you take this young one and get some food in her stomach, and a warm place to sleep?" Electra began to panic as the old tom pulled her out of his warm fur. Jennyanydots held out her paws, and Electra was placed in them. She whimpered slightly—the tabby didn't have nearly as long of fur as the old tom.

"Everlasting Cat, Deuteronomy!" Jennyanydots said. She held Electra close, covering the kitten as much as she could with her slim arms. "This poor kitten weighs less than Mistoffelees!" Electra didn't know what 'Mistoffelees' was, but she had a feeling she would soon find out. "Jellylorum, will you get a blanket for this poor dear? She's shaking like a leaf in autumn!" Another queen hurried off, and Jennyanydots began rubbing any wet out of Electra's fur… it felt nice. She couldn't remember her mother ever doing that for her.

"Where did you find her?" A silver tabby asked. He had his arm around a black and gold queen, who was wrapped in a blanket and holding a kitten of her own.

Deuteronomy looked at him. "She was just on the other side of the south fence. There were paw prints that suggested another cat, but it seemed clear they weren't coming back. The poor thing ran straight up to me, trying to get close for warmth."

"Sounds like she'd been there for a while." The black and gold queen said. She hugged her kitten tighter, as if the same fate would happen to it. Electra stretched out despite the cold, trying to catch a better glimpse at the other kitten. Jennyanydots smiled.

"That's Jemima. She's about your age," she said softly. Jellylorum hurried up with a blanket, and Jennyanydots bundled Electra in the middle of it. It was soft and warm, and Electra began drifting off to sleep. "I'll just take this little one to the kitten den," Jennyanydots said. "Do you want me to take Jemima, Demeter?"

Demeter nodded, and let Jellylorum take the small queen kitten in her arms. The two motherly queens carried the small kittens into the padded trunk of a car, shutting the door behind them. Electra and Jemima were set inside a wide basket with several other kittens, all of them snoring peacefully. Electra was stiff at first; she'd never been around other kittens before, let alone slept with them. After a moment, she relaxed and snuggled into the incredibly soft fur of a tuxedo kitten next to her, feeling Jemima place a small arm on her shoulder.

"Don't be scared," she whispered. "We'll be good friends." Jemima wiggled closer, encouraging the other (not really sleeping) kittens to do the same. Soon they were a tangle of limbs and tails, laying on top of each other for warmth and comfort.

"What's your name?" A white kitten asked. She had her head resting on Electra's rump, and her big green eyes glowed. Electra hesitated; if she talked, would these kittens want her to leave? She was silent for a few minutes.

"I'm Victoria," the white queen said. She nudged the others to introduce themselves.

"Etcetera," a cream-and-brown tabby said.

"Pouncival," he was white and tan with brown patches.

"Admetus," a grey tom kitten said. He grinned at Electra from over Victoria's shoulder.

"I'm Tumblebrutus," He sounded a bit old to be sleeping in a basket full of kittens, but Electra didn't mind—he gave off a lot of body heat.

Tumblebrutus nudged the small tuxedo, but he kept his mouth firmly shut. He seemed to be shy. Victoria rolled her eyes. "That's my brother, Mistoffelees."

"Kittens, go to sleep."

They fell silent, pretending for a moment. Electra was scared that if she talked, Jennyanydots would tell her to leave. She curled up against Mistoffelees and Etcetera, her head rising and falling with Etcetera's breath. After what seemed like a lifetime, Electra opened her mouth, her voice barely audible.

"Electra," she whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

"Electra! Breakfast!"

Electra groaned. Seven months; seven months she'd been living with the Jellicles, and she had woken up to the same scents and sounds the whole time. Jenny always made small cakes for the kittens to eat, which were "packed with all the nutrients and vitamins a kitten could ask for". They were always made of the same stuff, but somehow the Gumbie Cat managed to keep them guessing the flavor. Electra rolled over, right on top of Mistoffelees.

"Hey!" he pouted, shoving Electra off of him.

"Hey yourself," she retorted. She shoved him back, and soon the two of them were wrestling all over the den. Neither of them made any noise; that was the real contest. The first one to yell out lost and it didn't matter who wound up on top. Electra held her breath, fighting back grunts. Everlasting Cat, Misto was getting better.

Jenny entered the den to see what was taking the last two kittens so long, and shrieked when she saw what they were doing. "Electra! Mistoffelees! What have I told you two about wrestling inside?"

They both stopped and looked at their paws, neither of them saying a thing; this was part of the game as well. Jenny placed a paw on her hip. "Mistoffelees?"

Electra smirked to herself as Misto sputtered out an explanation. "We were just playing…"

"Well, next time wait until you are out in the play area before you decide to attack each other." Jenny ushered them out to the front door supported on cans they used as a table. There was a stack of cakes in the middle, and Electra distinctly smelled cherries. Were they ripe already? She eagerly took a seat between Jemima and Etcetera, rubbing her paws on her thighs before Jenny could inspect them and tell her to wash.

Once Jenny was satisfied with all the kittens' paws—well, not really; she sent Pouncival off to wash his—she began to pass out the warm cakes to each of them. Electra sniffed at hers; there were definitely cherries in them today. She glanced at Victoria, seeing if she'd noticed. Electra snickered to herself; when the cherries were still green, Victoria thought she'd had enough waiting and eaten several pawfulls, whereupon she decided that cherries were the grossest things in the world. Victoria was sniffing at her cake, and Electra could tell she loved what she smelled. Electra couldn't wait to tell her friend what she'd eaten for breakfast.

As they tucked into their breakfast, Jellylorum strolled over, leading a young calico queen to the table, who was wincing at the tight hold the older queen had on her ear.

Jennyanydots placed her paws on her hips. "Rumpelteazer, what have I told you about running off before breakfast?" Rumpelteazer giggled despite the paw still gripping her ear. Jenny sighed. "Take a seat, and get something in your stomach."

"Yes, mum." Rumpelteazer pulled her sore ear out of Jelly's relentless paw and plopped down next to Tantomile. She stayed uncharacteristically silent as she ate, keeping her eyes down as if she was trying not to be noticed further. Unfortunately, she was noticed. Jenny leaned down next to her, sniffing suspiciously.

"You snuck out to meet a tom, didn't you?"

The breakfast table went silent as Rumpelteazer's face burned red and her eyes grew large and round. She stuffed another cake in her mouth to prevent herself from talking. Jenny tapped her foot impatiently as her daughter took her own sweet time chewing. As she swallowed, her paw shot to another cake, but Jenny's was faster. She wacked Rumpelteazer's wrist and knocked her paw away from the food.

"Well?"

"Um," Teazer ducked her eyes, fiddling with her claws. She squeaked, as if she was trying to say something, but nobody could possibly understand her at that pitch. She flinched, and hid her face.

"What was that dear? I don't think I heard you." Everyone could tell Jenny was losing her patience. Teazer peeked at everyone through her fingers, but didn't move her paws.

"I met someone at the park!" She said, a little loudly. She immediately curled up in a ball, expecting to be punished. Jenny merely smiled and shook her head.

"Come with me, dear," she said, placing a paw on the calico's shoulder. "I want to talk to you for a moment."

They watched curiously, ignoring their food completely until Jellylorum cleared her throat. Electra looked down at her nearly-gone breakfast. She knew the tom Rumpelteazer had met—Mungojerrie was his name, and he was quite a mischievous tom. She had met him several times, and every time, he tried almost too hard to make Electra talk as much as any other queen. He had even confided in her a secret; one he hoped he would never have to tell anyone else. He was a burglar, one of the best that worked for Macavity. He didn't particularly enjoy working there, but it kept him from fighting over scraps of food with bigger toms. Rumpelteazer and Jennyanydots returned to the table, with Teazer blushing more than ever.

"Alright," Jenny said, calling the attention of all the kits. "Tonight, as you know, is the Jellicle Ball. Since this is the first ball for all of you, I have some things to say." She waited until everyone was silent and looking at her. "There will be a lot of dancing and singing, and at one point, many of you will feel the urge to participate. You are all too young to dance the mating dance, and I strongly advise you to back away while the older cats are dancing."

"But why can't we dance?" Tumblebrutus asked.

"Because you are all still kittens," Jellylorum pressed. "You are too young to be mated to someone."

Electra rolled her eyes. Of course they were too young to be mated. They weren't even teenagers yet. Victoria stared at her plate, but Electra knew she'd been staring longingly at Plato, her tom of interest. He was only a few months older than they, and was old enough to dance.

"Which brings me to my second point," Jenny said. "You _are_ however, old enough to be living in dens of your own."

This caused an uproar among the kits. They all began protesting at once, each of them trying to be louder than the rest in an attempt to be heard. Jenny shouted something, but nobody heard her. Jellylorum tried, but to no avail.

"HEY!"

Everyone quieted down, shocked to see it had been Electra to yell out. She stuck her chin out boldly. "Don't you guys know enough common sense to listen to them?" she gestured to the two motherly queens. "They're smarter than all of us put together, so I think it would be a good idea to do what they say."

"Thank you, Electra." Jenny said, smiling at the small queen. "Now, you can share a den with whomever you like _as long as_ they are the same gender as you." She raised her eyebrows at Victoria, who had returned her gaze to Plato. "Everyone understand?" there were nods and a few murmurs of consent, and Jenny clapped her paws together. "Wonderful," she said. "You may be excused as soon as you are done eating."

…

"So what exactly are we looking for?" Jemima asked.

Etcetera rolled her eyes. "A den that's big enough for all of us!" she said, adding a 'duh' face.

"But something close to everyone else," added Victoria.

"Oh whatever," Jemima grinned slyly. "Just 'cause you have the hots for a certain patchwork tom…"

"Shut up about that already!"

"Vic, if he doesn't know about your crush by now, he's blind and not worth your time." Etcetera said as she poked her head into a small space.

"Yeah, I mean come on," Jemima stood up straight from peering into another opening. "You were staring at him _all through breakfast._"

"So?" Victoria sniffed. "I'm old enough to dance tonight, anyway." She said, crossing her arms in front of her. Etcetera gasped, and Jemima just looked shocked. Electra, however, continued on the search, staying within ear-shot of her friends.

"But you heard what Jenny said!" Jemima hissed.

"Yeah? Well what Jenny said applied to you guys, a.k.a., the kittens _under_ a year old."

"But you're only eleven months," Etcetera said, a frown growing on her face.

"Well, when the time comes, Jenny will not be able to keep me from dancing." Victoria affirmed. "I _am_ doing the invitation, after all."

Electra smiled to herself. Not talking a lot came with its perks; a lot of cats shared their secrets with her, and she therefore knew the most intimate things about everyone. She knew for a fact that Plato had noticed Victoria, and was hoping she would be old enough by the ball. She thought about sharing this information, but shook her head at the thought. If she ever let slip a secret, she would lose any trust built between her and the rest of the tribe. She glanced back at her friends, who were still bickering about Victoria dancing. She seemed determined.

Electra grinned and knew what she could do. She padded silently behind Jemima, and tapped her on the shoulder. "I'm going to look somewhere else," she said quietly. "I'll come get you guys if I find anything."

Sure, she was just making an excuse to find Plato, but there was no reason for her _not_ to look for a suitable den on the way. She found the tom lounging in the oven, enjoying the mid-morning warmth. He practically jumped when he saw her, and when she merely nodded and walked away, she thought she saw him dance for joy out of the corner of her eye.

**[A/N]**

**SummerRose12: I didn't realize the last chapter would make anyone sad… I was just beginning a story.**

**Negg7966: I'm glad you like it! P.s., is your pen name in any way, shape, or form related to Neopets? Call me a nerd, I still play it : ) **


	3. Chapter 3

It was beginning to get dark, and everyone was on edge with anticipation. Those who were especially excited were those who had never been to a ball before. The not-so-kittens sat in a circle, talking about what they thought the ball would be about.

"I bet something crazy will happen," Pouncival mused. "Like the tall piles fall down, and someone gets hurt!"

"Don't say that!" Jemima said as her eyes grew wide with horror. "You might jinx it!"

"Well, I hope _something_ eventful happens," Pouncival muttered. "I mean, if we aren't allowed to dance…"

"I watched the one last year," Tumblebrutus said. "The grown-ups think I was in bed, but I watched from inside the oven."

The group leaned in, ready to hang on every word that came out of Tumblebrutus' mouth. Etcetera was the one to ask the question.

"What's it like?"

Tumblebrutus stared at the sky, searching for words. Victoria smiled at him. "Why don't you do what Jenny teaches us?" she offered. "If you can't think of how to say it, sing it." At that, Tumblebrutus smiled.

"Everyone's invited, this is how we live," sang Tumblebrutus. "We're all here for each other; happy to give! All we have we share, and all of us we care, so come on!"

"Welcome to our family time, welcome to our brotherly time," Plato joined in, a broad grin brightening his face. "We're happy giving and taking to the friends we're making! There's nothing we won't do!"

Some of the older cats padded over, hearing the young toms singing. Rum Tum Tugger threw an arm over Plato's shoulder and joined into the song. "Welcome to our family time, welcome to our happy to be time! This is our festival, you know and best of all we're here to share it all!"

The bright tune of the song brought everyone to their feet, and Munkustrap strode into the group, smiling at everyone. "There's a bond between us nobody can explain,"

Jellylorum and Jennyanydots joined in, "It's a celebration of life and seeing friends again!"

Tumblebrutus playfully punched Pouncival on the shoulder. "I'd be there for you, I know you'd be there for me too... so come on!"

Everyone joined into the song, hearing the melody in their hearts and letting their voices carry the words. "Welcome to our family time! Welcome to our brotherly time! This is our festival you know and best of all: We're here to share it all!"

Gus the Theatre cat sang out from his spot on a couch, "Remembering loved ones departed,"

Plato grinned at Victoria, "Someone dear to your heart," She smiled and took his paw and sang with him, "Finding love, planning a future."

Gus gestured to the surrounding cats, "Telling stories and laughing with friends, precious moments you'll never forget!"

"This has to be the most beautiful, the most peaceful place I've ever been to," Electra sang quietly as her friends rejoiced around her. She thought back on when she'd lived with her mother, strangely grateful she'd given her up to the Jellicles. "It's nothing like I've ever seen before. When I think how far I've come I can't believe it...and yet I see it—in them I see family, I see the way we used to be…"

"Welcome to our family time! Welcome to our brotherly time!" Everyone sang together, dancing in together as though the ball had already started. "We're happy giving and taking to the friends we're making! There's nothing we won't do! Welcome to our family time! Welcome to our happy to be time!  
This is our festival you know and best of all: we're here to share it all!"

Even though everyone could feel that the song was over, they continued chatting animatedly with each other about what they thought would happen at the ball. Electra smiled warmly at everyone. She could tell this would be one of the best nights of her life.

* * *

**[A/N] The song is Welcome from Brother Bear. I love that movie, and got the inspiration for this while listening to the soundtrack!**


	4. Chapter 4

Victoria glanced over at Jenny, who was sitting with Skimbleshanks near the tire as they watched the oldest of the young queens dance their turn. It was almost the part of the ball she'd warned the kittens about, and Victoria and Plato planned on dancing alone. Their only obstacle came in the form of a middle-aged tabby with tiger stripes and leopard spots. Victoria lifted her chin a bit higher as she joined with the others on the floor, moving fluidly with the music. Her heart pounded faster, and she became aware of Jenny's eyes on her—the fur on the back of her neck was standing straight up. The dancing slowed, and the young almost-queen found herself standing alone in the middle of the floor.

She turned around slowly, hoping Plato wouldn't back down. She could sense Jennyanydots fuming as he approached her, and they danced together slowly. Victoria could feel a completely new rhythm and tune rising in her mind, and she opened her mouth to let the words fall out, afraid it would be lost.

"Kiss me too fiercely, hold me too tight," she sang softly to Plato. He blinked momentarily in surprise, but recovered himself. "I need help believing you're with me tonight… My wildest dreamings could not foresee standing beside you with you wanting me," Victoria let her voice grow louder, building with her confidence. "Just for this moment as long as you're mine; I've lost all resistance and crossed some border line. And if it turns out it's over too fast, I'll make every last moment last! As long as you're mine,"

Plato pressed his forehead against Victoria's, both of them blissfully unaware of the other cats playing audience to their song. "Maybe I'm brainless, maybe I'm wise, but you've got me seeing through different eyes. Somehow I've fallen under your spell, and somehow I feel it's up that I fell,"

They held each other close as they joined in together, "Every moment as long as you're mine, I'll wake up my body and make up for lost time!"

"Say there's no future," Plato sang, while Victoria shook her head vehemently. "For us as a pair,"

"And though I may know, I don't care! Just for this moment as long as you're mine! I'll be all you want to, and see how bright we shine! Borrow the moonlight until it is through," They gazed into each other's eyes, holding the note as they blended perfectly. "And know I'll be here, holding you! As long as you're mine!"

As they finished their song, the rest of the tribe joined them in the center for a well-sought-after rest, and as Victoria snuggled into her new mate's chest, she heard Jenny whisper at her, "I have some strong words to speak with you, young kit." Despite the impending fury of Jenny, Victoria giggled as she realized she and Plato had done something for the first time in Jellicle history: they defied Jenny's rules while she was watching and got away with it.

* * *

Electra fidgeted as Jenny cleaned a small cut across the bridge of her nose. She and Etcetera had been hit by Macavity during his wild attack on the tribe, and they were now seated in Jenny's famous medical den along with Munkustrap, Alonzo, Demeter, and Mungojerrie.

"What do you think Vic's doing?" Etcetera asked. "I think she's out finding a den,"

Electra shrugged, but didn't say anything. She knew that Jennyanydots was furious; she had a stinging nose from too much ointment to prove it. If it had been her in the situation, she would be gone from the junkyard for a while. Heaviside knew what Jenny would do when she was in this kind of mood… and to put a cap on it, Rumpelteazer had brought her tom-friend to the junkyard, and everyone had found out that Jenny's daughter regularly went out thieving with him.

As Jenny was pinching together the cut on Electra's face—which was rather painful—Tumblebrutus poked his head in. "Cettie, Electra, we're going to start a game of tag, if you want to come," He gave his 'special smile' to Etcetera (who squealed and squirmed as Jenny finished patching her up) and left the den.

"Calm down, Etcetera!" Jenny snapped. She sighed and shooed the two queen kittens out of her den so she could attend to the more serious injuries.

* * *

Electra and Etcetera bounded towards the clearing, where the rest of the young population was gathered to start their famous game of early morning tag. They only did it on mornings when the adults stayed up late, just so they could bother them more than usual. The real object of the game was not to get yelled at; the first one to be reprimanded by an adult (anyone who has danced the mating dance) got 'it', and had to provoke someone else into being scolded. After so many mornings of playing the game, none of the adults had figured it out.

"Alright, listen up!" Tumblebrutus gathered everyone around, signaling for them to be quiet. "Victoria and Plato are now adults, so if they tell you to buzz off, listen and announce yourself as 'it'."

"But nobody's seen them all morning," Jemima added. "So there's a good chance they left the yard for the day."

Tumblebrutus studied the faces of the young cats. "Anything else?" No reply. Tumble smiled. "Ready, and… GO!"

There was a chorus of 'not it's', with Pouncival being the last one to speak. He pouted for a moment, letting the rest of the kittens scatter as they began their game.

**[A/N] OK, so the poll is up so you can vote for your favorite contest entry! **

**Also, this is definitely going to be a 'musical' of sorts… I know I'm going to have fun with it; I already have a bunch of songs lined up! Happy reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

Jemima and Electra lay in the sun, enjoying a lazy afternoon. Etcetera was off to who knew where, along with the rest of the most of the other young cats. Most days since the ball two weeks ago had been uneventful for the most part—the most remarkable thing that happened was the heated row between Victoria and Jennyanydots.

Jenny had confronted the young white queen the afternoon after the ball, when she had finally been done with treating those injured by Macavity.

"I gave specific instructions, Victoria! Why can't you learn to listen?"

"Maybe because I'm a grown queen now?" Victoria had asked haughtily. Plato was on patrol, so he wasn't there to witness the argument—or split it up.

"Hardly," Jennyanydots snorted. "You aren't even a year old."

"Well, by tribe standards," Victoria had risen to her full height, which was a good two inches taller than Jennyanydots. "Since I have a mate, I _am_ a grown queen. That means you can't order me around." A smile had grown on her face at the thought. "We don't stay kittens forever, you know."

"I am well aware of that," Jenny had actually growled at Victoria. "But do you think relationships always work out? They don't. Especially rushed ones."

Victoria glared at the Gumbie Cat. "If you think you can split Plato and me up, you are sadly mistaken. Or have you forgotten?" Victoria asked, crossing her arms. "It's against tribe law to intentionally break up a pair."

Jenny couldn't say anything; she merely glared at the cocky young queen before stomping away to her den.

* * *

Electra nudged Jemima. "What do you think will happen if Vic expects kittens?"

Jemima giggled. "Jenny will blow over," she muttered. "Not to mention, it'll be weird for us."

"What do you mean?"

Jemima propped herself up on her elbows. "C'mon, El," she half-smiled, "She's only a few months older than us."

"Huh," Electra idly scratched her stomach. "That would make it weird."

"Plus she's so tiny," Jemima continued. "I hope she and Plato wait before trying to start a family."

"Look who's talking," Electra sat up, looking Jemima up and down. "Victoria is second only to you in size, and neither of you are very big."

"Hey, I'm still growing!" Jemima gave a playful shove. Electra shoved back, and the two of them began play wrestling on the ground.

* * *

Etcetera walked through the 'yard, wondering where her friends were. Since Victoria's mating, they didn't hang out as much as they did before, and Etcetera was starting to miss that. She heaved a long sigh and lowered herself on a beat-up couch cushion. She didn't even know where Victoria's den was. What kind of friend was she being?

"Not a very good one," Cettie mumbled to herself. "I'm being a terrible friend."

"What makes you say that?"

Etcetera jumped, surprised to see Tumblebrutus standing a little ways off, watching her curiously. She smiled and felt her heart miss a beat. Sure, Tugger was the love interest of all the young queens, but she _really_ liked Tumblebrutus.

"We don't hang out so much anymore," Etcetera said, answering his question. She patted the cushion beside her, and Tumble gladly took a seat. "I'm beginning to think it's because of Victoria."

"You blame her?" Tumblebrutus raised an eyebrow. Etcetera shook her head.

"No! I don't blame her, I just wish…" she sighed. "I just wish she'd listened to Jenny and waited."

"Not likely," Tumble chuckled. "Since when has Victoria listened to Jenny?"

"True," Etcetera smiled, and Tumblebrutus casually pulled his arm around her waist. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"That's what I like the most," Tumble said.

"What?" Etcetera cocked her head.

"Your smile," Tumblebrutus gave her a one-armed hug. "And your laugh. Heck, I like everything about you," He took a breath and began singing softly in Etcetera's ear.

"_You´re better then the best  
I´m lucky just to linger in your life  
Cooler then the flip side of my pillow that´s right  
Completely unaware  
Nothing can compare to where you send me  
Lets me know that it´s ok yeah it´s ok  
And the moments where my good times start to fade"_

Etcetera giggled and snuggled into Tumble's arms, rubbing them where they crossed in front of her. Tumblebrutus gave her a squeeze before continuing, a little louder than before.

_  
"You make me smile like the sun  
Fall out of bed sing like a bird  
Dizzy in my head spin like a record  
Crazy on a Sunday night  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Ohh you make me smile!_

__

Even when you´re gone  
Somehow you come along  
Just like a flower poking through the sidewalk crack and just like that  
You steal away the rain and just like that

You make me smile like the sun  
Fall out of bed sing like bird  
Dizzy in my head spin like a record  
Crazy on a Sunday night  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Ohh you make me smile

Don´t know how I lived without you  
Cuz everytime that I get around you  
I see the best of me inside your eyes  
You make me smile  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild

_You make me smile like the sun  
Fall out of bed sing like bird  
Dizzy in my head spin like a record  
Crazy on a Sunday night  
You make me dance like a fool  
Forget how to breathe  
Shine like gold buzz like a bee  
Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
Ohh you make me smile_

Etcetera sighed. Nobody had really sung her a song before, and Tumble had a great voice. The sun was slipping below the horizon, and the sky was beginning to show the countless twinkling stars. They sat in silence for a long while as it grew dark, simply enjoying each other's presence.

"Cettie?"

"Mmm?" Etcetera tilted her head back on Tumblebrutus's shoulder. He smiled.

"Do you…" he bit his lip for a second, and then plucked up his courage. "Do you want to dance alone next ball?"

Etcetera gasped and sat up straight. "Do you mean it?" When he smiled and nodded, Etcetera squealed and threw her arms around his shoulders, planting a kiss full on his lips.

* * *

Jemima walked slowly out of Jenny's den, her face white. Electra jumped out of her seat as soon as she saw the small calico. "What happened? You disappeared, and now you look like you've seen a ghost," Electra gripped Jemima's shoulders to keep her from falling over.

"We jinxed her," Jemima whispered. "Victoria's expecting a kitten."

Electra was numb with shock. "We can't have jinxed her," she reasoned. "It's not like it happened today," she half laughed, but the expression on Jemima's face made her stop. "What else? Did you talk to her?"

Jemima shook her head. "She wouldn't talk to anyone while Jenny was in the den. When she left, she told me…" she hesitated. "She said she'd s-slept with Plato for a few nights before the ball."

"Those nights she said she _couldn't _sleep?" Electra gasped. Apparently they didn't really know Victoria all that well.

* * *

**So, we've got a new pairing, Victoria's pregnant, and Jem and Lect feel _slightly_ out of it... Maybe they feel lonely? After all, they don't have any love interest. They _are _only eight months old--only thirteen-year-olds by our standards. Anyone feel like reviewing, eh?**


	6. Chapter 6

"Jemima, truth or dare?"

Jemima fiddled with a random string on the ground as she pondered the question. "Truth," she finally said.

Victoria smiled slyly and adjusted herself on the large pillow she was laying on. "Who do you like?" she asked as she folded her paws over her swollen stomach.

Jemima blushed, glancing around at the faces of her friends. "Well, I kinda like Misto…"

"Ha!" Etcetera shouted triumphantly. "I knew it!"

"Well," Rumpleteazer flicked Etcetera's ear. "That may be, but you're not going to say anything, right?"

Etcetera huffed. "I know the rules," she mumbled.

Jemima smiled gratefully at Teazer, and continued with her turn. "Ellie, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Electra said. She didn't feel much like doing anything but sitting and talking.

"What is your favorite game beside this one?"

Electra tapped her chin while considering the question. She had a lot of favorite games… "Hide and seek," she said finally.

"Only 'cause you're so good at it," Etcetera laughed. "How many times have you been found and caught?"

Electra grinned smugly. "Only because I know the best spots," _courtesy of Misto,_ she added mentally. They'd found one continuous tunnel going all around the yard that only came to the surface a few times, and even led to a small kitten-sized hole in the fence—upon discovering it, they both swore it would be only their secret.

"Teazer, truth or dare?"

The small calico picked at her nails. "Truth," she said lazily. Apparently nobody was in the mood to move.

"What do you and Jerrie do when you sneak out of the junkyard?" Electra asked. Instantly the curiosity of the others was sharpened and they gave Rumpleteazer their undivided attention.

"You won't tell my mum?" Teazer asked. A grin was slowly spreading on her face. The other four shook their heads. "Jerrie and I go out burglering!" she squealed. "He's teaching me how to be one of the best thieves in all of London!"

"But," Jemima frowned. "Doesn't he work for someone bad?"

"Yeah," Victoria adjusted herself on her pillow. "Someone named Mavaty or something like that?"

"Pfft," Rumpleteazer scoffed. "Macavity, and he's only a freelance for him every now and again. The tom simply likes what Jerrie can do. And soon, Jerrie will ask if I can start working—really working with him!"

"Speak of the devil," Electra said quietly. A tall, lean tom was walking towards them, tossing something in his paws.

"An' 'ow are you lovely gels on this fine aftahnoon?" he asked in his peculiar accent.

"Just fine, thank you," Rumpleteazer said with a smile. "What are you up to?"

"Well," Mungojerrie lowered himself between Rumpleteazer and Electra, showing the object he had; a deck of cards, one that looked almost brand new. "I was walkin' along, 'eadin' 'ere, when I saw these one th' ground. I though' to meself, 'well can' leave 'em there,'" he grinned. "Someone migh' trip. So I picked 'em up, an' I though' I'd come along an' teach you gels a fun liddle game I know."

"What's the game called?" Etcetera asked, her eyes wide as she studied the cards.

"Well," Jerrie glanced around, suddenly looking slightly uneasy. He turned to Teazer. "Where's ye mum?"

Rumpleteazer waved her paw. "Probably looking for us," she said. "We've been avoiding her since breakfast."

"She wants to give me a check-up," Victoria grumbled. "She just won't accept that I feel _fine._"

Mungojerrie raised an eyebrow. "Ye look abou' ready t' pop," he said bluntly.

Victoria laughed. "Yeah, I've got a few days left, at the most. Jenny wants me in her MD all the time now, I'm supposed to be on bed rest,"

"She didn't walk here," Etcetera added. "We carried her."

"It was rather fun," Jemima said with a smile.

Mungojerrie let out a loud, sharp laugh. "I be' tha'd be a lovely sigh' t' see!"

"Let me assure you, I was not in the least bit amused."

Everyone jumped as Jennyanydots strode towards them, her eyes filled with fire. "Victoria, you are supposed to be in my medical den," she said, wagging a paw sternly. "I did not give you permission to leave."

"I'm not standing up," Victoria grumbled. "See? I'm sitting down on a rather comfortable pillow."

"Well, I would really much rather you sit where I can watch you in case something happens," Jenny frowned. "Er, Mungojerrie? Would you be a dear and carry her back to my den?"

Mungojerrie sighed and stood, receiving a furious glare from Victoria. He shrugged. "I don' take sides," he said. "Jus' ordahs. It keeps th' skin on me back a bi' longah."

Jenny didn't bother to hide the triumphant smirk as the tiger tom scooped Victoria up with ease, and led the way back to her den. Not knowing what else to do, Electra, Etcetera, Jemima, and Rumpleteazer followed, with Teazer holding the deck of cards behind her back. Victoria glared at them.

"You're all traitors," she muttered. Mungojerrie laughed.

"Ye don' always ge' yeh way, love," he said. "We follow th' highah ordah, an' tha's Jenny's word."

Victoria didn't respond; she merely growled and adjusted her arms around Mungojerrie's neck to prevent herself from falling.

…

"So what was the game called?" Jemima asked. They were out of the junkyard, having annoyed the older cats enough to be allowed into the neighboring park. Joining them were Pouncival, Tumblebrutus, Mistoffelees, and Admetus.

"Well," Mungojerrie shuffled the cards with ease. "If we was in th' yard, I'da called i' Bluff. Bu' we're no' in th' yard, so I'm goin' t' call it by its propah name. Now, ye have t' sweah no' t' say this in fron' o' th' grownies, or t' even say these words in the yard. Got it?" The young kittens nodded, leaning forward with eagerness. Mungojerrie grinned devilishly. "This game is called 'B.S.', or Bull Shi'."

"Woah," Pouncival said, almost reverently. "You're teaching us a game with swear words?" the young tom's face brightened when Mungojerrie nodded. "How do you play?"

"Well, wha' ye do is everyone gets cards until there's none left ovah," Mungojerrie said, passing out cards as he spoke. "Ye don' show anyone yeh cards, cause of one reason; ye wan' t' ge' rid of yeh cards. 'Ow ye do tha is we go aroun' th' circle, an' we each put down some cards. Le's say I wen' firs'. I'd pu' down," he considered his cards. "Two aces. Now, if any o' ye don' believe me, ye say 'bull shi', an' if I'm lyin', I pick up all th' cards in th' middle, an' i's th' nex' playah's turn. Here's th' ordah of th' cards; Ace, two, three, all th' way up t' ten, then i's Jacks, Queens, then Kings. Then ye start ovah on aces. Last playah t' ge' rid o' their cards loses, and is the Bull. Any questions?"

Jemima raised her paw timidly. "Is there something else we can say besides… um…" she scrunched her nose.

Mungo laughed. "Yeah, ye can say bluff, if'n ye wan'."

Jemima sighed with relief, as well as Etcetera and Electra. Rumpleteazer and the toms however, seemed as if they didn't care either way. Or they just wanted the chance to swear and not get yelled at.

"Anythin' else?" Mungojerrie asked, looking around at the others in the circle. They all shook their heads, and Mungo grinned. "Le's ge' started, then."

* * *

**This is me procrastinating... apparently that's when my creative spark ignites, and not very often otherwise. Anyway, you know the drill! Reviews make me happy, me happy makes my fingers move, and my fingers moving (especially on a keyboard) get stories updated faster!**


	7. Chapter 7

Electra, Etcetera and Jemima sat around the bed Victoria was confined to, chatting. Jenny had tried several times to shoo them off to their own beds, but they kept talking.

"So have you thought of any names yet?" Etcetera asked.

Victoria nodded. "If it's a boy, we're going to name him Knight, and if it's a girl, her name will be Joan." She lowered her voice. "I'm hoping for a boy, and Plato wants a girl."

"Well, one of you is going to be satisfied," Jemima joked. They all laughed, and even Jenny smiled—she was standing by the doorway, listening in on the conversation.

"Alright, dears," Jenny sighed. "That's enough talk, Victoria needs to get some sleep."

"Not that I could anyway," Victoria muttered. She smiled at her friends. "I'll be fine, guys," she assured them. The three young queens bid Victoria a good night, and shuffled off to their den, suddenly realizing just how tired they were.

"That game Jerrie taught us was fun," Jemima said. She had actually gotten so into it she'd stopped saying 'bluff'. "Maybe we can play again tomorrow."

Etcetera stifled a yawn. "We'd have to get out again," she said. "I don't think Jenny or the other grownies would like to hear us playing."

"They would have a heart attack," Jemima said. "We could ask for a trip to the park, like today."

"Did either of you notice how Teazer started talking with Jerrie's accent?" Electra asked. Both Jemima and Etcetera stopped.

"Yeah," Cettie scratched her ear. "I thought it was a little weird, but then I thought I was just hearing things."

"I think she really likes him," Jemima said. "After all, they spend a lot of time together."

"But Teazer won't admit to it," Electra said. With a sly grin she added, "She's sworn her heart to Alonzo," The three of them burst into a fit of giggles as they thought of Rumpleteazer's antics to win the black and white tom's affections. She'd had the biggest crush on him since she first laid eyes on him.

"Shouldn't you girls be in bed?"

The three of them nearly snorted from preventing their laughter; Alonzo was walking towards them. He looked really tired himself, but was probably on his way to patrol for the night. Jemima smiled at him.

"We're just on our way," she assured the tom.

Alonzo clamped his jaw shut—probably fighting off a yawn—and nodded, and then continued along the path into the night. The still giggling queens peeked over their shoulders at him as they went on their way, watching as Alonzo was falling asleep on his feet. Eventually they collapsed on the same pillow in their den, asleep as soon as they hit the soft expanse of cushion.

* * *

Sometime in the early morning, someone was shaking Electra awake. She blearily rubbed at her eyes, squinting through the darkness at a figure hovering over her. Bright blue eyes were open wide, and Electra knew instantly who it was. She extracted herself from the cat-pile of Etcetera and Jemima, and followed the figure silently out of the den.

"Why so early Misto?" Electra hissed. "I thought we agreed not before dawn."

Mistoffelees grinned. "I've got something to show you," he took her paw and pulled her through the junkyard. Since it was dark and Electra was so tired, she had no idea where he was taking her. It wasn't until she saw light pouring out of a den ahead that she realized where they were. Electra's mouth hung open.

"Is Victoria…?"

Mistoffelees laughed. "She's doing great! Come on, I can't describe it to you," He pushed her into the den, where she could clearly see Victoria sitting on the bed with Plato beside her, the two of them gazing lovingly at a little rust-colored kitten in Victoria's arms. Jenny beamed at Electra, who was standing numb in the doorway.

"Her name is Joan," Jenny said quietly.

Victoria looked up to see who entered and beckoned Electra closer. "She doesn't bite," she said with a laugh. Electra was startled to hear that Victoria's voice sounded weak. "We decided to let the rest of the tribe sleep," she said as Electra lowered herself on the edge of the bed. "They can get to know her in the morning. Misto just wanted to get you." Victoria smiled at her brother, who was now scuffing the ground with his paws with a very red face.

"He was able to keep any sound from reaching anyone else in the junkyard," Jellylorum said proudly. She clapped Misto's shoulder.

"It was nothing, really," Mistoffelees muttered. But Electra could see that he was proud of his accomplishment, and she made a mental note to talk to him later.

"She looks just like Victoria," Plato cooed. His eyes seemed glued to his tiny daughter, as if he looked away for one second something would happen to her. Suddenly Electra felt like she was privy to someone else's fairy tale.

_They're all related,_ Electra realized. Misto and Vic were siblings, and Plato was Jellylorum's son, and Jelly and Jenny were sisters… The dark tortoiseshell queen felt strangely out of place; she didn't have any family in the junkyard. Standing up, Electra politely excused herself. "I'm still tired, and Cettie and Jem will wonder if they wake up and I'm not there," she said as she left the den.

* * *

As Electra tried to go back to sleep, a memory sprang unbidden from the far recesses of her mind. It was freezing cold, and Electra watched as her mother ran through a storm away from where she'd just left her daughter mewling in the cold. Electra scowled. Why in Heaviside did her mother abandon her? She forced herself to purr, trying to rid herself of the memory. But words began forming in her mind, and she mentally put a tune that seemed to fit…

_Hey, mom, look at me  
Think back and talk to me  
Did I grow up according to plan?  
And do you think I'm wasting my time doing things I wanna do?  
But it hurts when you disapprove all along…_

The memories and the small song faded into a dream, one where kitten Electra was climbing through snow and following some paw prints, but she never saw who made them or where they were going. All she knew was that if she kept following them, she would find the cat who made them, and maybe she would have some answers…

For the second time that morning, Electra was being shaken awake, only this time by a very bright-eyed Etcetera. Jemima was standing behind her, watching over her shoulder.

"Come on, Ellie! Vic's had her kitten!" Etcetera cried. She had a huge grin plastered on her face. Electra sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"You make it sound like it's your birthday," Electra muttered.

"Well, it's _somebody's_ birthday," Jemima said. She was bouncing at the door of the den, waiting for Electra to get up. "Come on! Jenny and Jelly are telling the rest of the junkyard now, so if we hurry we can see them before there's a crowd!"

Electra stretched as she stood, but was pulled roughly out of it by Etcetera and Jemima, who were now running along to Jenny's den to see their friend.

* * *

**Heh heh, I was yawning a lot while I wrote the first part... Anyway, this is just a bit of filler, there will be more to come later. I won't be able to update saturday at all, because I'm going to be so busy with rehearsals and marathons and such. Happy reading, please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

It was a lovely summer day, and Victoria, Etcetera, Electra, and Jemima were in the kitten play area with Joan. She was about two months old and barely learning to walk. Victoria stood behind her, ready to catch the little rusty princess if she fell.

"Come on, Joan!" Jemima clapped her paws and held them out, trying to prompt steps out of her. "You can do it!"

"Do it!" Joan repeated enthusiastically, and lurched forward towards Jemima. She squealed with delight as Jemima caught her and began tickling her, inspiring laughter in all present. "Aunty Mima, stop!" she cried out in her cute baby speech. Jemima let her paws lay still for a moment while Joan pushed herself up, still giggling. Jemima twitched her paws, making Joan squealed again and crawl towards her mother.

Victoria scooped her up. "Are you hungry yet?" Joan shook her head vehemently, and Victoria raised her eyebrow. "Not even for Jenny's special cakes?" Joan's eyes widened, but she stubbornly shook her head.

"Wanna play!" she reached towards Electra, whom she knew gave the best shoulder rides. Suddenly she relaxed and turned back to Victoria. "Where daddy?" she asked.

"Daddy's out protecting the tribe," Victoria said. "He's watching for bad guys at the gate."

"Actually, he just got relieved," Plato said as he strode into the small clearing. "Alonzo's up now."

Joan, upon seeing her father, giggled and reached towards him. "Wanna play daddy?"

Plato stopped and pretended to ponder the question. "Do I want to play?" He turned his gaze upwards as he pretended to think about it. Joan's expression fell slightly when he didn't answer right away. Then he grinned at her. "Yes, I do!" He stole her out of Victoria's arms and spun her in a circle, then acted as if he were chewing her neck, the whole while Joan was shrieking with laughter.

Once again, Electra felt that distant feeling, like she didn't truly have any ties to the junkyard and its inhabitance. She pushed the feeling from her, refusing to brood on such a lovely day. A pair of approaching cats caught her eye.

"Hey Tanto, hey Cori," she called, waving cheerfully.

"Good afternoon," they said in unison. Tantomile blinked at Electra. "Don't lie to yourself." The queen said simply before turning with her brother to Victoria.

"What did they mean?" Etcetera whispered to Electra, who shrugged.

"Now?" Victoria asked sadly. Plato stopped his antics, and held Joan a little closer to his chest.

"I still don't like it," he muttered darkly.

"You don't have to like it," Coricopat stated simply.

"It is a simple fact of life," Tantomile added.

Victoria sighed and nodded to Plato, who reluctantly handed Joan to Tantomile. The two siblings carried her to the side of the clearing and placed her on the ground between them as they sat facing each other. Tantomile leaned down to be eye level with Joan. "Are you scared?" she asked.

Joan shook her head. "Not scared," she said. She reached out and touched Tantomile's paw with her own tiny one, and the Siamese queen smiled before joining paws with her brother and closing her eyes.

Etcetera turned to Victoria, who had lowered herself to sit cross-legged on the ground. "What are they doing?"

"They're helping her," Victoria said, her eyes never leaving her little daughter. She sighed. "She has some kind of… her brain isn't developing right. Cori and Tanto are doing all they can to get it up to speed, but for some reason it's not working."

"They do this every few days," Plato added. "To check on progress and to help along development."

"How long has this been going on?" Jemima asked.

"Since she was about three weeks old," Victoria said.

"What does it mean that her brain isn't developing?" Etcetera asked.

"It means," Victoria swallowed. "It means she'll have the mind of a kitten, even when she's grown, and she won't fully understand everything."

Electra watched as the twins remained motionless and Joan sat quietly in the small circle they made with their paws. It seemed she understood what they were doing, at least. She was drawing in the dirt with her claws, singing a song that she made up as she went.

"_Mommy says I'm brave, and Daddy says don't be scared,  
But I'm not scared, and I feel brave,  
Cause Tanti tells me that I am.  
And I tell them I love them,  
Because they take care of me…"_

She fell silent, humming to herself. After a few minutes, Coricopat and Tantomile broke their connection and stood. "You can go back to your mommy now," Tantomile said, helping Joan to her feet. Joan took a few wobbly steps, but resolved to crawl the rest of the way.

"I'm hungry now, mommy," Joan said as she crawled into Victoria's lap.

* * *

"Do you know why Joan isn't growing right?" Electra asked. Mistoffelees glanced up from the paper in his paws, frowning.

"Are you asking me as a magician or a friend?" he asked.

"A friend," Electra said. "I thought you said you weren't a magician on these little outings?"

Misto stuck his tongue out playfully then sighed. "I think it's because Vic tried starting a family too early. She didn't get enough nutrients for her and Joan, and now my niece is suffering."

"Are you blaming her?" Electra raised an eyebrow.

"Not really," Misto growled. "I sometimes feel like even though I'm younger, I'm the more responsible one. She's a kitten in her own ways, and I don't think she's ready to have a family."

"Well she's got one now," Electra bounced a small pebble in her paw. "It's hard to say those things when you see the love she has for Joan."

"Yeah, I know," Misto turned back to the paper. "In my opinion, though, she should let Jenny take care of Joan."

"It's not like we have anything else to do all day,"

"Oh really?" Misto crossed his arms. "When was the last time Vic visited her human family? They probably gave her up as lost a long time ago."

"True," Electra nodded. "But then again, nobody's been out of the junkyard lately, except on hunting parties."

"Yeah," Misto frowned. "Ever since everyone found out about Joan's condition, nobody's been willing to leave her alone for the fear that she'll be left alone for one second. Coricopat and Tantomile say it's bad for the tribe, and everyone's behavior needs to change."

"Speaking of the twins," Electra said, a small bit of memory suddenly rising to the surface. "Tantomile told me not to lie to myself. Any idea what that means?"

"When did she say that?" Misto asked.

"The day everyone found out. She and Cori came into the play area for one of Joan's treatments, and she just told me out of the blue," Electra explained. "I can't figure out what she meant by that."

"There comes a time," Misto shook his head. "When all you can do with those two is smile and nod, and try to remember what they say. It'll come into play soon enough, don't worry."

"Huh," Electra turned the pebble over in her paws, thinking about what she could possibly be lying to herself about. Nothing came to mind. "So do you have anything big planned for the next ball?"

Misto stretched and leaned back. "Not really. I'll worry about that when it gets closer, maybe mid-November, or something. Right now, I'm trying to get some issues figured out."

"What issues?"

"Jemima."

Electra blinked. "What about her?"

Misto chuckled. "She's got a crush on me, I can tell. But I don't know what to do about it…"

"What do you want to do?" Electra asked.

"I don't know," Mistoffelees sighed. "I don't really feel that way towards her, but I don't want to lead her on, you know? I just don't know how to let her down easy."

Electra's mind buzzed with this information. Jemima wasn't going to be very happy! "Well, I think you should give her a chance," she suggested. "You never know; you might find that you have feelings for her after all."

"Maybe," Misto said. "I just don't want a relationship right now."

Electra shrugged. "Neither do I, but that doesn't mean I don't give toms the time of day," she playfully shoved Mistoffelees off his perch.

"Fine," Misto said laughing. "I'll invite her to do something with me, or something."

"Or something?" Electra asked.

"Haha yeah," Misto said with a smile. "Make fun of me all you want, but we need to get back. Jenny will be wondering where we disappeared to."

Electra hopped down from the beam she was seated on. "Let's not get the Gumbie cat all worked up, then," she said. Misto offered his paw and Electra took it, and the two friends raced off back to the main part of the junkyard.

* * *

***Sigh* I'm not really in the mood for much more tonight... Read and review, please. Also, Joan's little song doesn't really have a tune. Just picture a little kid making up words and a melody as they go, and there you have it.**


	9. Chapter 9

Electra lay on her back in the sun, enjoying the way the warmth seemed to fall on her face. She was in long grass, with Mistoffelees lying beside her. Summer was drawing to a close, and those hot lazy days were beginning to disappear into the crisp days of autumn. Electra smiled when she heard Misto humming to himself, and started singing along with the tune. Anyone looking in on the scene would have said they were rehearsing a song they already knew; but by virtue of being Jellicles, Electra and Mistoffelees were simply improvising.

"_Lyin in the sun  
Now that summer's almost done,  
We've never really seen  
What autumn can bring…"_

Electra paused, and Misto looked at her. "Why did you stop? That was good."

"Oh, I don't know," Electra sighed. "I guess I've got a lot on my mind right now."

"Joan's not getting any better, is she?"

Electra narrowed her eyes at the tuxedo tom. "You would know if you visited the junkyard more often," she complained. "Is it really just so hard to even _consider_ talking to Victoria?"

Mistoffelees growled. "If she doesn't trust me enough to help with Joan, then I don't see why I should talk to her otherwise," he propped himself up on his elbows. "I know I could help, if I could just have five minutes alone with Joan. I could even help Cori and Tanto with what they do."

"She doesn't want to wear you out," Electra explained. "Have you ever _seen_ those two after they finish lately? They try to hide it from everyone else, but they're exhausted all the time nowadays."

"Exactly why I could help," Misto argued. "Three magicians are better than two, I could help level out the amount of exhaustion we'd get, and there would be more magic to work with."

"So come back to the junkyard," Electra pressed. "Is it really such a bad thing to make it up to your sister?" Mistoffelees rolled onto his side away from Electra, and she moved a bit closer. "She misses you, you know."

Misto was silent for a moment. "I know," he grumbled.

"You are so stubborn," Electra scoffed, falling onto her back. She closed her eyes and sighed. "You can't always get what you want, you know."

"Mm-hmm," Misto rolled onto his back—and Electra's arm. She flinched and wiggled her arm a bit, trying to get it free, but Mistoffelees didn't move. He merely looked at her and grinned. "We haven't wrestled in a while, you know."

Electra narrowed her eyes at him. "Maybe because we haven't slept in the same den since the last ball?" she playfully smacked his shoulder, still working to liberate her arm. "Will you get off please?"

"Well, since you said please," Misto lifted himself up, allowing Electra to pull her arm back. Then he grinned devilishly. Electra's eyes widened.

"Don't you dare," she hissed. Misto, however, ignored the warning and promptly began tickling Electra. She squirmed on the ground, helpless to do anything but laugh and try to fend off his paws. After a few long minutes, she managed to catch his arms with her hind legs, and shoved upwards, forcing him back. Electra pulled herself up, her sides twitching from the attack.

"Did you really have to do that?" She demanded, though she couldn't keep a smile off her face.

"Yup," Misto nodded. "I just feel like behaving like a kitten today,"

"I noticed," Electra laughed. Something in the distance caught her attention. "Dark clouds coming in," she said, nodding to the sky. Misto turned around to look at the rolling black clouds in the distance.

"If we leave now, we can get back to the junkyard before the rain hits," he judged. He turned back to Electra and offered his paw.

"You know," Electra said as she accepted and they started walking. "If we keep this up, Jemima will get jealous."

"I doubt it," Misto snorted. "She never gets jealous. Besides," he smiled and held up their paws. "It doesn't really mean anything," he frowned. "Does it?"

Electra shrugged. "Not that I know of. But are you going to stay tonight, or go to your human family?"

Mistoffelees pondered the choice for a moment. "I think I'll stay in the junkyard tonight. It's been a while, and there's a few toms I need to talk to."

* * *

Etcetera and Jemima sat in their den, listening to the rain as it fell outside. Thanks to a simple spell by Mistoffelees, all dens in the junkyard were waterproof, and so the two queens stayed warm and dry.

"I keep thinking Misto is going to ask me out," Jemima pouted. "But he just… doesn't."

"Well, we hardly see him anymore," Etcetera pointed out. "I'd be surprised if he even has time to think about queens with… whatever he does all day."

Jemima nodded sadly. "I just wish I was brave enough to talk to him, you know? I don't think he even notices me."

"Just keep trying, Jem," Etcetera rubbed Jemima's shoulder. "I've never known you to give up on anything."

"Let's talk about something else," Jemima said. "How are things with you and Tumble?"

Etcetera laughed. "Great," she smiled. "Although we're both wishing the Ball would come sooner. We want to dance alone next year, and the wait is really starting to bug us."

"Why don't you talk to Deuteronomy?" Jemima suggested. "I'm sure he'd know what to do."

"Yeah," Etcetera nodded. "I haven't thought about that before. I'll go when the rain clears up," she decided.

* * *

Electra and Mistoffelees were soaked. Not only had they misjudged the rain, but while they'd been walking along the road a car had sloshed water on top of them. They were now shivering in the first shelter they could find; an upturned cardboard box that Misto had quickly enchanted to be waterproof. They had no blankets, so they huddled as close together as they could for warmth.

Electra fought back a sneeze, rubbing her fur and trying to get it warm. Misto smiled sadly at her. "I wish I knew a spell to dry us off," he said. "Then we wouldn't have to risk getting a cold."

"And we're lost on top of that," Electra laughed.

"We're not lost," Misto argued. "I know exactly where we are."

"Oh really?" Electra met his gaze. "Then where are we?"

"Inside a cardboard box," Misto said indignantly.

"Well, Mr. Smarty-fur," Electra pretended to punch him. "Now we know all the answers to life. We're in a cardboard box."

"Have it your way," he sighed. "We're lost, and I was trying to be optimistic."

"And I'm not?" Electra asked.

"You have your moments," Misto flicked her nose gently. Suddenly unable to hold eye contact, Electra stared at her paws, feeling a blush steadily creep over her face. She was grateful that her fur was dark enough to hide any hint of red. Misto pulled his arms around her shoulders and began rubbing the water out, which only deepened Electra's blush. Why in Heaviside was she suddenly embarrassed by the closeness of her best friend? She shoved the question from her mind, afraid to answer.

"Electra?"

"Mm?" Electra forced herself to meet his eyes, only to see that he was staring off into the distance.

"Are we…" He paused as he searched for words. "Are we just friends?"

Electra blinked. It was as if he'd read her mind… "Well, you're my _best_ friend," she tried. "I don't know if that's what you mean,"

"Well," Misto paused again. He frowned. "What if we were more than that, and we didn't realize it. I mean," he hugged her briefly. "We do things together that normal couples would do,"

"This is true," Electra mused. Her ears burned, and she stared out into the rain. "I guess I'm not opposed to the idea,"

"Me either," Misto shook his head. "I was just wondering, if maybe…" he took a breath. "What if we were—you know, uh…"

Electra laughed. She'd never seen Misto so lost for words. "A little bit more?"

Misto smiled nervously. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I kind of want something a little more than just friends." The last part came out in a rush, and Electra smiled.

"Well, as I see it," Electra flicked her tail back and forth. "We've never really been 'just friends'. I mean, like you said, we already do things normal couples do, short of the mushy stuff. So what _you're_ asking is to simply add a bit of it, right?"

"Yeah," Misto smiled. "But only if you want to," he added hastily.

Electra thought about it for a minute. "You know, if we were just a pair of strays, I'd say sure, but think of what Jemima would do if she saw us," she sighed. "She'd tear herself up inside, and that's not something I want." She turned around to face Mistoffelees. "When we get back, the first thing I want you to do is ask Jemima out. Get to know her a little,"

"Okay," Misto sighed. "But we're not going anywhere in this rain."

Electra glanced behind her and nodded. "We should get some sleep," she said. "It looks like the storm is going to last through the night." She fluffed out her fur as much as she could before curling up in a corner of the box.

"Ellie?"

Electra opened one eye. "What, Misto?"

"Before we agree to be just best friends, can I ask for something?" he crouched in front of her, his breath tickling her whiskers. Electra nodded. "Can I kiss you?"

Electra smiled. "I don't see why not," she said.

Mistoffelees hesitantly leaned forward and lightly brushed his lips against hers, forcing himself to stop before he could do it again. She was asleep before he reached the other side of the makeshift den. He definitely felt _something_ for Electra, but it was probably just the gladness of having such an understanding friend. _Oh well,_ Misto sighed. _Maybe I'll figure it out in my sleep._

On her own side of the den, Electra's mind was on fire. She had restrained herself from grabbing Misto and kissing him again, but she shrugged it off as it being natural feelings after a first kiss. Whatever she felt for the young tom, it was _not_ love… but she didn't know what it _was_, and that was the problem.

* * *

**Okay, so we've got a little action here, but I don't think it will develop into anything... I was going to put some of Joan into this chapter, but I'm too tired and I'm falling asleep on my computer... more tomorrow, I hope!**


	10. Chapter 10

The days grew shorter, and the air grew colder. Soon, the trees were bare of their leaves, and the Jellicle cats started stock-piling food for the winter ahead. Mistoffelees had followed Electra's advice and asked Jemima out, and soon enough the two fell madly in love with each other. Etcetera and Tumblebrutus were announced official mates by Old Deuteronomy, and Misto and Jemima were promised the chance to dance alone at the next ball. The only dark spot in this whirlwind of happy news was Joan.

She barely had the strength to walk anymore, and even though she was nearly eight months old, she still looked three. Mistoffelees, Coricopat, and Tantomile hardly had the energy to satisfy themselves after their daily treatments to the small princess, and the rest of the tribe was getting desperate. Several times, someone had suggested the go out to find conjurers, and each time they left they came back empty-pawed. Electra was just getting back from one such journey.

"Any luck?" Munkustrap met her at the gate of the junkyard. Sadly, Electra shook her head.

"I don't think there _are_ any more conjurers in London," she said. "If we want to find someone, we'll have to leave the city."

Munkustrap groaned and ran a paw through his headfur. "I don't want anyone getting caught in a storm," he said. "But if what the twins say is true, Joan won't survive the winter without another magical cat. What are we going to do?" he sank down to the ground, his head in his paws. Electra rested a paw on his shoulder, feeling helpless to do anything. An idea struck her.

"Send me out again," she suggested. Munk looked up sharply at her. "I've lived through winter storms before, and I was barely old enough to walk then," she reminded him. "I can do it again."

"But you had someone to look after you then," Munkustrap sighed. "I don't want to send you out alone."

"Who, my mom?" Electra laughed humorlessly. "She didn't do much for me. As far as I can remember, I had to hunt for myself as soon as I could walk. She couldn't wait to get rid of me," she smiled at the tribe protector. "Trust me, I'll be fine."

Munkustrap looked like he wanted to object, but he sighed. "You're right. Out of all the kittens, you were the most sensible. And now you're a grown queen with a good head on your shoulders," he gripped her shoulder briefly. "Don't be gone too long. Do you need anything to bring with you?"

Electra shook her head. "I'll go now. Then I have less of a chance being caught in a storm."

"Good luck," Munkustrap stepped back. "May Everlasting Cat protect you on your journey."

"I'll be back sooner than you think," Electra smiled. Then she turned away and left the one place she truly called home.

* * *

Joan curled up against Victoria's chest, shivering in the slight cold. Mistoffelees, Coricopat and Tantomile were sitting across from her in Misto's den, all of them trying to stay awake long enough to give her treatment. Joan didn't try to stop the tears from rolling down her face as she saw Coricopat reaching for her, his once strong paws trembling. She didn't like the pain she was causing them, and she wished there was another way for her to grow.

Reaching out her own small paw, Joan pushed Cori's away. "You guys need sleep," she said. "I can wait until you're feeling better."

"Joan," Victoria started. Joan looked up at her mother.

"Uncle Misto needs sleep too," she said. "I don't want them to touch me until they feel better."

Victoria hugged her daughter tightly, taking in the shocked expressions on the magical cat's faces. Tantomile opened her mouth to argue, but Victoria cut her off. "Get some sleep, guys," she ordered. "I'll stay with her,"

Mistoffelees sighed. "Keep her warm for the time being," he suggested as he lay back and closed his eyes. Coricopat and Tantomile did the same, the two of them not willing to move into their own den. Victoria picked up Joan, and carried her out into the crisp air. She had an idea.

"Jemima, Etcetera," Victoria called as she entered the clearing. "Would you two mind having a slumber party tonight?" she smiled weakly at her two friends.

Jemima smiled and Etcetera nodded. "Whose den?"

"We can go in mine," Jemima said. "It's got the most room, and there won't be a tom to bother us," she tweaked Etcetera's ear.

"I'll just tell Tumble," Cettie said. "Do you want me to tell Plato?" she asked as she hopped off the tire.

Victoria nodded. "Thanks,"

Joan turned to Jemima. "Is Aunty Lectra gonna be there?"

"No," Jemima's face fell. Nobody had heard from Electra for about two weeks. "She's still out traveling."

* * *

Electra was somewhere in the middle of Whitechapel, following the scent of a pair of cats. Queens, she guessed. And housecats at that. But one of them had the faint smell of magic Electra knew from Mistoffelees, so she was tracking them.

"She looks a lot like Nina, don't you think?"

Electra stopped and looked around, and saw a pair of cats lying on a wall. One was completely black with a yellow scarf around her neck, and the other was a light brown bob-tail with a dark purple scarf. The bob-tail smiled.

"What's a young kit like yourself doing in this part of town?" she hopped down, and the black one followed. "I'm Mahra, and this is Soot."

"Electra," she blinked. Mahra was the conjurer she'd smelled. Soot cocked her head.

"Are you a stray?" she asked.

"I'm a member of the Jellicle tribe, actually," Electra said proudly. "They took me in when my mother abandoned me last winter."

The two queens exchanged a glance. "What's your mom's name?" Soot asked.

"I don't remember," Electra shrugged. "But it's not like I'm ever going to see her again. Anyway, you're a conjurer, right?" she asked Mahra.

"That's right," Mahra blinked. "How could you tell?"

"I can smell the magic on you," Electra said simply. "I know another magical cat, and two mystics, so I know the smell."

"That is something not a lot of cats can pick up," Mahra said. "You must have a sharp nose."

"Nina's the only other one we know who can smell the magic," Soot said suspiciously. "I'll go get her." With a flick of her tail, Soot disappeared over the wall.

"So why are you in need of a conjurer?" Mahra asked.

"There's a kitten in our tribe who is sick," Electra explained. "She's not growing right, and we've tried everything we can think of to heal her, but nothing works."

"What are you doing now to keep her alive?" Mahra asked. She twitched her short tail thoughtfully.

"I honestly don't know what they do," Electra admitted. "But it's exhausting them. We need all the magical help we can get, and if you could come back with me, I'm sure you wouldn't regret it."

"I'll do you one better," Mahra smiled. "I'll get my two daughters, and we'll add three more conjurers to your numbers. And Nina is really smart about medical things like this; our human is a doctor, and she's learned a lot."

Just then, Soot appeared at the top of the wall, with a dark tabby queen with her. Suddenly Electra felt like a small kitten. Jumping down from the wall was her mother.

"We can get to know each other later," Nina said impatiently. "What's wrong with the kitten?" She tapped her tail on the concrete as Electra explained, and was silent for a long while after she got done talking. Finally she opened her mouth.

"Your brother had the same problem, and he didn't last the winter," Nina frowned, and Electra blinked, surprised.

"I had a brother?" She asked.

"What did I say about getting to know each other?" Nina snapped. "Now, Joan will not survive the winter unless we can get her to someplace warm until the snow is gone. I would suggest the south of France, or maybe Italy. I know cats in both places, and we could easily find a place for her to stay,"

"Wait," Electra cut her off. "You mean we can't do anything but keep her warm?"

"We can't do anything _until_ she's where it's warm," Nina pressed. "Humid air will heal her naturally, and there's nothing we can do with magic to speed that up."

"So what's wrong with her, then?" Mahra asked.

"It's likely she's got a brain tumor," Nina guessed. "But she could also have cancer. For Brom, it was cancer. He wouldn't have lived long, even if he did survive the winter."

"Hold up," Electra growled. "I want to know why you didn't want to keep me, and why I don't remember having a brother."

"Because Mahra took those memories out," Nina scoffed. "And I'm not suited for raising kits. It's not something I like doing. Now do you want me to help this kit or not?"

Electra fought back the growl that was building in her throat. "Let's go," she said through clenched teeth.

"I'll join up with you," Mahra said. "I'm off to get Fenna and Layla. We can at least help get her to someplace warm."

"We're going to France," Nina called to the bob-tail's retreating form. "Raul and his sister would be more than happy to help us. Soot," she turned to the black queen. "The tribe lives in a junkyard just south of London. Get there as fast as you can and tell them to stop whatever magic they are doing to Joan." Soot nodded and took off, flying over the pavement and was soon out of sight. "Now you," Nina turned to Electra. "Have every right to be mad at me. We have until Mahra gets back to talk, so start venting."

"Venting?" Electra's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure…"

"You can't have lived a year knowing I abandoned you and not have any built up anger festering inside you," Nina's expression softened for a moment. "I deserve every ounce of hatred you have for me."

"Why did you give me up, really?" Electra demanded. "I could tell you were lying back there when Mahra and Soot were around."

"You don't miss much, I'll give you that," Nina sighed. "I gave you up because you and Brom looked exactly alike. I didn't want a reminder that I couldn't save his life. As far as Mahra and Soot know, I don't want to take care of kits," she frowned. "In reality, I would have kept you if you didn't give me heartbreak every day."

"That makes sense," Electra mumbled. She never really hated her mother; she simply wondered why she'd been given up. Now she knew, and felt there was nothing else to talk about. Nina clicked her tongue.

"What happened to you? The last time I saw you, you wouldn't shut up."

"I don't know," Electra shrugged. "But that doesn't matter right now, does it? We need to get Joan to France."

* * *

Tantomile forced herself to open her eyes, and shook her brother awake. They weren't tripping over their own paws, but they were still tired. She only hoped Joan wouldn't refuse treatment this time. As they made their way to Victoria and Plato's den, Mistoffelees joined them with a yawn.

"You two get a good sleep?" he asked.

"It wasn't without worry," Coricopat said. Tantomile nodded in agreement. Mistoffelees stretched.

"Well, let's hope Joan isn't so stubborn this time," he said. "After all, it's been almost a week since she's let us help her."

"She wants us to recover," Tantomile reasoned. "I understand that. After all, we can't help her if we can't even hold our own heads up." Coricopat and Mistoffelees nodded in agreement.

They continued on their way in silence, but were distracted by a commotion near the main entrance to the junkyard. Naturally curious, the three cats drew nearer to the sound. Munkustrap and Alonzo were barring the way to a pure black queen with a yellow scarf around her neck.

"Just tell them not to do it!" she was saying rather loudly.

Munkustrap frowned. "Joan is alive because of those three, I'm not about to tell them to stop the treatments altogether."

The queen rolled her eyes. "But she doesn't _need_ it. There are cats who are coming who can take care of her, and Nina's instructions are to stop the magic treatments immediately."

"And what is _Nina's_ solution?" Alonzo growled. "Let her die of the cold?"

"Nina's a medical cat," the queen said bluntly. "She knows more than most other cats put together. If she says Joan needs to go to the south of France, then she _needs_ to."

"France?" Misto asked. He approached the two protectors. "What's in France that will do more good for Joan than us?"

"Ah," the queen smiled. "I take it you three are the magic cats?"

"Mystics," Coricopat and Tantomile said in unison, and Misto nodded. The queen stared at the twins for a moment, then shook herself.

"Well, your job is done as soon as they get here. Just make sure she is warm," she smiled. "My name's Soot, by the way."

"I'm Mistoffelees, and this is Coricopat and Tantomile," Misto gestured to the twins in turn.

Soot cocked her head. "Would you mind if I saw Joan? I'd like to get to know her a bit,"

"Come with me," Alonzo said after a nod from Munkustrap. The three magical cats followed Alonzo and Soot as he led her through the junkyard. Soot whistled appreciatively at her surroundings.

"You'd have endless possibilities to hide if enemies came along," she commented. Alonzo merely nodded.

When they arrived at Victoria's den, they found her sitting outside with her head in her paws. Alonzo immediately thought something was wrong. He leaned down next to Victoria and put a paw on her shoulder.

"What's wrong Vic?"

Victoria looked up at him, and the other four cats could clearly see her eyes were bloodshot. She smiled lightly. "Nothing," she assured him. "I'm just tired. Joan is sleeping, and I came out here for the cold air. Is she a conjurer?" she asked, nodding to Soot, who laughed.

"Oh, not me," she shook her head. "Mahra and her two daughters will be coming soon; I just wanted to meet Joan."

"Oh," Victoria's face fell a little. "Well, like I said, she's sleeping."

"That's good," Soot said. "While she's sleeping, her mind is recharging its mental battery, and the longer she sleeps now, the better chance she has of surviving the trip."

"Trip?" Victoria asked, suddenly alarmed. "She's not going anywhere."

"Nina said warm, humid air is best for her health right now, and we've arranged for her to go to France to stay with a friend of ours," Soot explained. "Trust me, he's very good with kittens, and both he and his sister are the most responsible cats we know."

"France?" Victoria asked. It seemed so far away… "Did you—_arrange_—for me to go with her?"

"Of course!" Soot laughed. "You think we'd send a kitten to another country without her parents?"

Victoria was silent for a minute. "What about the treatments?"

"Those will not be needed," Soot assured. "Nina said the air will be enough to do some good."

"But not heal her completely?"

Soot hesitated. "I'm going to be honest with you, and this is without Nina's permission. She had a son who had the same problem. He didn't get somewhere warm, and died during the first big winter storm. And he was inside a heated house. It tore Nina up, both that she couldn't save him and that he was her son. She is going to do everything in her power to save your daughter, I promise you that."

Victoria glanced behind her into the den. "When do we leave?" she asked finally.

Soot grinned. "As soon as the others get here."

* * *

**I feel so proud of myself! I have been so good about updating this story... but i have sadly neglected my others. Well, this streak won't last long; I'm playing Bombalurina in a group that's performing the opening song for our 'acadamy awards' (a little joke... pva: performing and visual arts... get it? bah.) Anyway, I'll be busy with that, but after I'll be good! **

**Also, one thing I forgot to mention: Alonzo is the older brother to Mistoffelees and Victoria, so that's why... nevermind. Just something i feel I should mention.**


	11. Chapter 11

Nina was greeted with much enthusiasm when she led the small group into the junkyard. Word had spread by then that she was the cat who would be taking care of Joan, and nobody had any objections to her immediately organizing for the small queen to leave for France. Electra felt strangely out of place again, because in all the attention her mother was getting, Electra only got brief smiles and nods. She eventually stopped trailing behind her mother and went to sit inside the oven, where she could wallow in her thoughts that had been stewing for the past several days.

She and her mother were nothing alike; Electra was actually grateful she'd been left with the Jellicles the winter before. Otherwise she never would have made all her friends; she would have grown up a housecat, one unable to hunt for herself and most likely not even dance or sing. Nina had tried singing a little road song on the way, and Electra had cringed inwardly at the horrible quality of the older queen's voice. She wouldn't have had all the fun she'd had, or met Mistoffelees… Electra sighed. Why was she still mooning over him? He was with Jemima, and everyone agreed it was a match made in Heaviside. Unbidden, her thoughts drifted back to the night they'd been caught outside the yard in a storm…

_Electra couldn't stand the silence anymore. She had to say something. "Misto?"_

_The black tom lifted his head immediately, and Electra could tell he hadn't even considered going to sleep. Electra bit her lip. "We have to talk about this," she said quietly._

"_I'm sorry," Misto started. "I shouldn't have kissed you—"_

"_No," Electra said hurriedly. "It was nice,"_

_Misto got a funny look on his face. "I think this is what Tantomile was talking about,"_

_Electra sighed. "You're right. I…" she gazed out of the den. "I didn't want you to stop… and that fact alone scares me."_

"_What if…" Misto got a distant look on his face. "What if we pretend we are just a couple of strays? Just for tonight. Tonight, there's no Jellicle tribe, no reason to go back to the junkyard, and," Misto paused and the corner of his mouth lifted. "No Jemima. Deal? And if we don't like it, we'll just go back to the tribe like nothing happened."_

_Electra considered what Mistoffelees was offering, and her heart began to pound. It would go against all they'd been taught as kittens… but then, they weren't kittens anymore. Taking a deep breath, Electra nodded. Misto didn't need any second bidding. He pulled Electra close, covering her mouth with his and kissed her—softly at first, but the passion grew as the moment stretched on. Electra pulled her arms around Misto's neck, and (whether by her will or Misto's, neither of them knew) they were soon lying on the cold ground, their tails wrapping together…_

_The morning had brought with it a brilliant sun, and the light reflected off the wet pavement and shone into the box. Electra snuggled closer to Misto's chest as she tried to figure out what she was feeling. They hadn't slept very much—maybe only an hour or two before the sun made sleep impossible. Electra inhaled Misto's scent, allowing it to fill her mind as if it were a drug. She still wasn't sure she loved him, but the night before had been… wonderful. _

"_Ellie?"_

_Electra smiled. "Mm?" She was pretty sure she only wanted Misto to call her by her kitten name now._

"_You still want me to ask Jemima out?" _

"_Ah," Electra grimaced. There was the hitch. Any other time—in any other situation—she would have said 'go ahead', but the previous night's events made her feel strangely selfish. The last thing she wanted was for Jemima to get hurt… well, right now that was the second-to-last. Right now the last thing she wanted was to lose Mistoffelees to another queen. She kissed his collarbone, frowning into his fur. Misto laughed. _

"_I think last night was very bad for you," he commented. "You're not yourself at all."_

"_I noticed," Electra sighed. "Maybe it _is_ best we stay friends," she hated to say it, but it was true._

"_Friends with benefits?" Misto asked hopefully. "You are actually a very good kisser," he added playfully, hugging her tightly._

_Electra tilted her head back, and gave Misto a quick peck on his cheek. "Friends with _occasional_ benefits," she smiled. "You weren't so bad yourself," she forced herself to sit up, and started licking her fur back into place; it had gotten quite messy through the night._

"_So you _did_ enjoy yourself!" Misto grinned triumphantly. He sat up and pulled Electra's face towards his, giving her a long, slow kiss. She moaned softly; they had to stop and go on with their lives. But she was pretty sure it would hurt. A lot. Electra broke off the kiss._

"_Misto," she swallowed, not looking at the hurt expression on his face. "We have to go back." She resumed her grooming, but was fighting tears the whole time. Misto slumped against the wall._

"_There's the Electra I know and love," he sighed. Electra looked at him sharply._

"_It's that kind of thinking that will get us hurt," she insisted. "When we get back to the yard, the first thing I want you to do is ask Jem out. It will make her day, and it'll be good for both of us."_

_Misto watched her for a minute. "Is there a tom in this future you've invented?"_

_The question made Electra pause. Of course, right now she didn't want anyone but Misto, but that would mean breaking Jemima's heart. She forced herself to continue grooming without answering Misto's question. She heard Misto pushing himself to his paws. _

"_So you'd rather have the heartbreak of seeing me with Jemima," Misto concluded. "While you stay alone indefinitely. I'll wait for the day you change your mind." He padded out of the den without a backwards glance. When he was no longer in sight, Electra drew in a shaky breath._

"_Pretty much," she whispered…_

Electra was pulled out of her revere by a faint giggle from the pipe. She almost got out of the oven to investigate, when she remembered the pipe led to Misto's den… where Jemima had been spending a lot of time lately. _Now that he's not worn out by Joan, he must make a pretty good love partner,_ Electra thought bitterly as she curled up tighter inside the oven. She and Misto hadn't spoken for a while, unless it was a passing 'hello'. She missed the days when they would sneak out of the yard together and leave all of their troubles behind them for a few sweet hours.

Electra choked out a sob and held her breath for a moment, trying to stop the river of tears that was threatening to burst forth.

_If i had one call to make__  
__I would dial yesterday and warn myself__  
__Tell my lips the words to say__  
__Not let you just walk away__  
__With someone else__  
__With someone else_

Embarrassed to be caught crying, Electra pushed at the loose panel at the back of the oven, and dropped into the small tunnel so she could let the tears run freely down her cheeks.

_Next time, i won't suffer this kind of pain__  
__Own my mistakes__  
__Not just pass off all the blame__  
__If you were here, we could figure this out__  
__Then i wouldn't be bitter__  
__I'd just be better now._

If she had said something different that day… She could have suggested they run away together, and they never would have had these troubles. Well, she wouldn't have; Misto was much too taken with Jemima to pay Electra any attention anymore.

_To be the strong and silent one__  
__A lot of good that has done__  
__Yes, you'd agree__  
__No more tryin' to understand__  
__Or fix these things because you can__  
__Guess it's up to me__  
__Yeah, it's up to me__  
_

_Next time, i won't suffer this kind of pain__  
__Own my mistakes__  
__Not just pass off all the blame__  
__If you were here, we could figure this out__  
__Then i wouldn't be bitter__  
__I'd just be better now._

_I'd be much better off__  
__Much better off, maybe__  
__If i could just let it go__  
__With no regrets then_

_Next time, I won't suffer this kind of pain__  
__Own my mistakes__  
__Not just pass off all the blame__  
__You'd still be here, and we'd figure this out__  
__Then i wouldn't be bitter __  
__oh, no I wouldn't be bitter__  
__I'd just be better now_

Steeling herself, Electra made up her mind. She wouldn't stay in the junkyard, not when the one tom she'd ever loved was soon to be happily mated to someone else. She would go to France, and find some excuse to stay there. She nodded to herself as she climbed out of the small tunnel. Immediately she went to find Nina.

"I want to go to France with you," she said firmly. Nina raised a questioning eyebrow, but nodded.

"We'll be leaving in the morning," Nina said simply. "And travelling all day. Get some sleep while you can."

Electra nodded, and padded back to her den. The last thing she expected to see was Jemima, sighing happily on her bed.

"What happened to you?" Electra asked before she could stop herself. Jemima smiled blissfully.

"Misto happened," she breathed. "I can't get enough of how wonderful he is,"

"Wonderful," Electra half-agreed, muttering to herself. She wished she could forget the feeling of lying next to him… Electra shook herself mentally. _That sort of thinking will get you into trouble,_ she chided herself. Tomorrow she would be off to France, and hopefully the adventure promised with going to another country would help her forget her unhealthy attraction to the Magical Mr. Mistoffelees.

* * *

**Well, there's the song. And now you know what happened that prevented Electra and Mistoffelees from going further than 'just friends'. Happy reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ahem, you'll want a translator.**

**

* * *

**

They left in the early morning, just before the sunrise. Joan was riding on Plato's back, and the small company (not really that small; there was Nina, Victoria, Plato, Soot, Mahra, Fenna, and Electra—Fenna's twin sister Layla stayed in the junkyard due to a mind link the twins had in order to convey any messages) set off to the south, with Nina explaining their journey to them as they left the junkyard behind.

"Once we reach the southern shore of the UK," she said. "We'll have to get onto a boat that is sailing for France. It won't take long, but long enough to make anyone with a weak stomach sick." Victoria turned very green at the thought of going out onto the water for any length of time, but she glanced at her sleeping daughter to reassure herself. Nina grinned. "From there, we'll be travelling with the scoundrel Raul, and we'll be in his capable paws from then on."

Soot giggled, and Fenna sighed dreamily. Electra nudged her. "When she says 'scoundrel', does she mean—"

"He's the most suave toms in all of France," Fenna blushed. "He's never settled down with a queen, and he's a perfect gentletom, prone to giving out more compliments than is considered healthy."

"_And_ he knows the quickest ways through the country," Mahra stressed, though Electra could see the slightest hints of a blush under her scruffy brown fur.

Fenna rolled her eyes. "But mostly," she said in an undertone, "he knows how to make a queen feel like she's worth more than a million diamonds. Trust me; all your troubles will be left behind once you meet Raul."

* * *

They somehow managed to get onto a boat by the next night. It had actually been easier than they'd thought—the owner of the boat was busy checking the motor as they leapt one by one onto the deck, and then snuck into a large storage room. Nina had assured there would be plenty of places to hide if the need arose, but all the same she asked Mahra and Fenna to cast a spell that would allow their fur to blend into the back ground. After a few hours of rocking in the gentile waves, the large boat finally lurched forward into open water. Electra, feeling the need to get away from a potentially sick Victoria, padded out onto the deck and found she enjoyed the sensation of the boat plowing through waves and occasionally bucking when it hit a large swell.

She ventured out to the prow, where she could look down and see the water part in front of the boat. Once or twice, she imagined she could see silvery fish larger than herself swimming in the depths. She flinched away from the sound of shoes on the deck, but relaxed when she remembered that she couldn't be seen. However, that did not explain why a grizzled old man scooped her up in his leathery hands.

"_Qu'est-ce qu'un beau chat_," the man muttered, stroking Electra's fur. "_Comment avez-vous sur mon bateau ?'' _Electra guessed he was speaking French, but she didn't understand a word of it. She merely meowed quietly, hoping the man wouldn't think to search the rest of his boat. The man began walking towards a door that had light shining through the window. He pushed his way into the room, where an elderly woman and a young man were sitting. "_Vous voyez ce que j'ai trouvé? Un chat a rangés sur notre bateau_."

The woman, probably the man's wife, smiled. "_Sa fourrure est une jolie couleur, _" she gently lifted Electra from the man's hands, and began scratching behind her ears. Electra began purring immediately, and the young man patted her head once. The small family didn't talk much, Electra could tell that much, but it seemed they knew how to be in each other's presence without feeling the need to talk. She stayed in the cabin until the woman opened the door to let her wander around the deck.

As soon as she was certain the humans weren't following her, Electra slipped into the cargo room. She was instantly greeted by a very frantic Nina.

"What do you think you were doing?" she demanded. "Right after you left, Fenna and Mahra lost power over the spell, and we all became in jeopardy with you wandering around the deck!"

"They weren't mad," Electra muttered, slightly thrown off-guard by the sudden outburst from Nina—she strongly suspected it was her maternal instincts coming out. But apparently it was the wrong thing to say. Instead of calming down, Nina looked furious.

"They _found_ you?!"

Scowling, Electra lifted her chin. "Yes, and they liked having a cat aboard for a while. They aren't going to do anything to harm us, I'm pretty sure."

Nina growled, but said nothing. She retreated to her former position behind a crate by the door, her entire body tense. Electra rolled her eyes and curled up next to Fenna, who had a distant look in her eyes. As everyone drifted off to sleep, Electra managed to snatch a few words Fenna muttered; probably subconsciously… she seemed to be having a conversation with her sister.

"…_won't tell…good… help her…"_

After that, Electra was asleep.

* * *

Everyone awoke with a start when the boat lurched to a stop, and Electra was the first one to leave the room that had hidden them on the water. The plan was for Electra to distract the humans while the rest of them unloaded from the boat, and she hoped she could get away after that. Electra padded towards the prow of the boat, meowing at the sight of the young man. He smiled when he saw her and scooped her up, muttering French as he stroked her fur. Out of the corner of her eye, Electra could see her companions leaping off the boat one by one, afterwards disappearing on the dock. She knew she could find them once she got off the boat, but that was easier said than done.

She started to squirm, and the young man laughed and hopped onto the dock, setting Electra down gently. As soon as her paws hit the worn wood, she shot off, following the scent of the rest of the group. They were quite a ways offshore, crouched in an overgrown flowerbed. Electra joined them, working to control her breathing from her flat run.

"What are we doing?" she asked.

"Waiting for Raul to show," Fenna said. She certainly looked excited. Nina must have seen him, because she jumped down from the vegetation and started calling out in a different language.

"Raul mio amico! E 'così bello vedere che dopo tanto tempo!"

Electra blinked. "That's not French," she pointed out to Fenna. The cream queen giggled.

"No, silly," she fluffed her tail (which really didn't need it) and straightened her whiskers. "Raul is _Italiano,_" she giggled again and jumped down, followed by Soot and Mahra (who had also done some quick preening before showing themselves). Electra looked out to where her mother was, and saw one of the most handsome toms she was likely to see in her life. His fur was a light brown, with darker brown specks all over, with the exception of the patch of dark brown covering his muzzle, all four paws, and the tip of his tail.

Electra glanced over to see Victoria shaking her head disapprovingly, and Plato rested a paw on her shoulder. Joan was looking out curiously. "What are they saying, mommy?"

Victoria shrugged, baffled. Electra looked back out, and heard Nina and Raul speaking very rapidly in Italian. At one point, Nina turned towards the plants and gestured for them to come out. Victoria and Plato climbed down at once, but Electra lingered for a minute. When she finally consented to leave cover, Raul was smiling widely at Joan, and speaking softly to her.

"Sei un gattino bellissimo, Joan," he said. Whatever he said, it made Joan blush and hide her face in her father's chest. Raul patted her cheek, smiling crookedly. Electra walked forward slowly, trying to avoid attention—Soot, Mahra, Fenna, Nina, Joan, and even Victoria (Plato looked a little cautious of the Italian tom) were all blushing from recent compliments. Unfortunately, Raul noticed her.

"Nina!" He exclaimed, glancing at the queen in question. "You did not tell me you had una figlia! But she is bellissimo! Her eyes, they splenderanno come il mare!"

Electra froze, unsure of what he'd just complimented; it was obviously a compliment, because she could feel heat rising in her face, and Fenna looked slightly hurt. Nina came to her rescue.

"Raul, Electra does not speak Italian as well as the rest of us," Nina said with a smile.

Raul's smile widened. "Electra," he repeated the name. "Ah but you will learn to speak, no? After all, when you first meet me," he turned back to Nina. "I not know English so well, eh? I shall teach this bellezza, and she will speak as good as you, you see!" His face softened when he turned back to Electra. "Maybe I show you the meraviglie of this place later, no? Plenty of places to go, you see." With that, he offered an arm to Electra. Not knowing what else to do, she took it, and Raul started off down the boardwalk, chatting away in Italian. Electra glanced behind her, and regretted it. Both Soot and Fenna were fuming, and looked severely hurt that this devil-may-care tom had not offered to walk by them.

Nina caught up to the pair, and leaned in to Electra's ear. "Be careful," she warned. "He's not much older than you,"

"Thanks," Electra said sarcastically. It seemed she was in for one crazy trip in France.

* * *

**I gotta say, I had a lot of fun developing Raul's character. He puts a smile on my face every time I think of him! And the reason he's Italian, and not French: because I saw Light in the Piazza, and I wanted him to have an Italian accent. Plus, I swoon over hot guys from Italy... ANYWAY, one more thing to consider: the way Raul says Electra's name is (eh-LEHC-tra, with a lilted 'r').**


	13. Chapter 13

After a short while, Electra managed to wiggle out of the company of Raul and volunteered to carry Joan for a while. Plato indeed looked grateful to give his arms a rest, and he pulled Victoria close beside him as they walked. Nina and Raul were chatting in rapid Italian again, and Electra listened with mild curiosity. She could tell they were arguing—the tone in their voices told her that much. But what about?

"Electra?" Joan lifted her chin off Electra's shoulder. "How are we getting to the south of France? We're on the north side, and France is a big place, I think."

Electra was impressed that the little queen knew so much. "You're right, France is big," she'd seen a map on the wall of the boat. "But I don't know how Raul is getting us there."

"Do you like him?"

Electra blushed. "I barely met him an hour ago," she insisted, making sure Fenna and Soot could hear her. "There is no way in Heaviside I could like him." _After just an hour,_ she added silently. The roguish tom definitely had charm, and that was more than she could say for most of the toms back home.

Joan let her cheek rest against Electra's neck. "I wonder what Heaviside is like," she mused. "I bet if I lived there, I would be able to grow right." She sighed and closed her eyes, and soon enough she was asleep—which made her seem a bit heavier.

Soot caught up to Nina and Raul, and started talking with them, though her Italian wasn't as smooth as the first two. Something she said seemed to make Nina and Raul agree, because they both nodded and Soot looked proud of herself. She fell back to walk beside Fenna.

"We're going to travel along the water ways," Soot said. "Raul is concerned that too much walking will ruin our paws," she giggled a bit, and she and Fenna sighed dreamily while gazing (probably unintentionally) at Raul.

…

They traveled by foot for the rest of the day, resting inside of a closed down flower shop. Raul was leading them away from the _Le Havre River_, thus avoiding unnecessary danger. Raul kept going on about a tribe of river cats who navigated the waters just as easily as they did land.

"They eat the fish they catch in the river," Raul said. "I know no others who can swim like they. But, _mamma mia_, they speak no words in English, no Italian! They speak only French, and I speak none of it!"

"That's alright, Raul," Fenna said. "I speak French well enough."

Raul smiled widely at Fenna. "Ah, but this is _meraviglioso_! We will not be lost with Fenna here!" Fenna blushed deeply, and hid her face with her bushy tail. Soot giggled.

"Sing us a song, Raul!" she begged. "You have such a wonderful voice,"

Raul waved a paw. "But is _media_, I not sing as good as others,"

"Nonsense, Raul," Mahra said. "You've got the best singing voice of any tom I know."

The rest of the young queens persisted until Raul threw up his paws. "_Basta, basta!_ I sing _una canzoncina,_ one I hear from human radio. I listen because they sing in Italiano, and I learn the song because I know what they sing," He adjusted himself briefly. "In Napoli where love is king  
when boy meets girl here's what they say,"

_When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie  
That's amore  
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine  
That's amore  
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling  
And you'll sing "Vita bella"  
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay  
Like a gay tarantella_

_When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool  
That's amore  
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet  
You're in love  
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not  
Dreaming signore  
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli  
That's amore_

_When the moon hits you eye like a big pizza pie  
That's amore  
When the world seems to shine like you've had too much wine  
That's amore  
Bells will ring ting-a-ling-a-ling, ting-a-ling-a-ling  
And you'll sing "Vita bella"  
Hearts will play tippy-tippy-tay, tippy-tippy-tay  
Like a gay tarantella_

_When the stars make you drool just like a pasta fazool  
That's amore  
When you dance down the street with a cloud at your feet  
You're in love  
When you walk down in a dream but you know you're not  
Dreaming signore  
Scuzza me, but you see, back in old Napoli  
That's amore…_

Electra drifted off to sleep, smiling. Raul truly did have a wonderful voice. The fact that he was Italian only seemed to help his case, as his knack for being unable (for the most part) to translate into English correctly made Electra feel strange. Perhaps it was the fact that he wasn't a tom she'd grown up with, or maybe because he was totally honest in everything he did. Whatever the case, Electra found her heart thumping whenever she thought of him; she forced her mind to stop her current thought process. If she went any farther, she was likely to get hurt.


	14. Chapter 14

The south beaches of France were absolutely beautiful. Raul led them to one particular beach that had a high fence around it to 'keep the humans out'. There was an entrance hidden behind a rose bush that, upon closer inspection, only had thorns on the outsides. On the other side of the fence was a small stretch of beach untouched by humans. The sand was white and smooth, and warm beneath the paws of the weary travelers. The sparkling ocean pounded on the beach, retreating and swelling rhythmically.

Before anyone could stop her, Joan was running off through the sand like she never had before. Well, she stumbled more than she stayed upright, but the smile on her face kept anyone from stopping her. Fenna glanced at Soot, and the two were racing towards the water, leaving their belongings high above the waterline. Soot dove right into the ocean, and soon the two queens were soaked and laughing. Joan looked like she wanted to join them, which caused Victoria to run in after her daughter. A chain reaction started, and soon the whole group was soaked and splashing in the ocean.

Electra coughed as the water went up her nose and mouth, and tried to spit out the salty taste. She retreated to higher ground, and began licking water out of her fur—only to stop to gag on the salt water.

"That's the ocean for you,"

Electra glanced behind her to see a queen sitting and watching the playing cats. She looked almost exactly like Raul, but her eyes were a light shade of grey instead of brown. She smiled at Electra. "My name is Sahara," she said. Electra expected her to have a strong Italian accent like Raul, but she didn't. "I hope my brother hasn't bothered you too much?"

Electra shook her head. "He's really nice," she said. "I don't think I've seen him frown yet."

Sahara laughed. "Neither have I, young one," She sat next to Electra. "What's your name?"

"Electra," she said. "Nina is my mother."

"Ah, yes," Sahara watched the playing cats. "I can see the resemblance. And don't worry about getting the salt out of your fur," she smiled. "Living next to it my whole life has taught me a lot."

After everyone was done playing and clean of the salt water **[a/n use your imaginations…] **Raul and Sahara went to work stacking bits of driftwood in a sort of pit. Victoria, Plato, Joan and Electra were confused until Fenna rubbed her paws together and pointed them at the pile, which suddenly burst into flames. Electra blinked at the sudden brightness in the fading daylight, and scooted to a comfortable distance from the heat.

"Raul," Sahara turned to her brother. "Si va catturare qualche pesce?"

Raul nodded and padded off along the beach while Sahara gathered some long sticks, blackened from being held above the fire. "We will be roasting our fish tonight," she said with a grin. "Everybody know how to cook it?" The four from the Jellicle tribe shook their heads, while Mahra, Soot and Fenna nodded vigorously. Sahara passed the sticks out while she explained. "Break off a piece of meat and put it on your stick, then hold it over the fire until the outside is slightly golden, and when you pinch it with your claws it is nice and tender, and you can break it apart easily. Understand?"

They all nodded, eager for their dinner. Raul soon came back with a trio of large fish slung across his back in a net. He also had a bit of canvas, which his put the fish on so they wouldn't get sand in their food. Electra tore off a bit of the meat and speared it, her mouth watering. The rest of them did the same, and soon the air was filled with the smell of roasting fish.

Once their bellies were all full and they were lying comfortably around the fire, Electra felt her eyes drifting close. Then Sahara smiled at Joan. "Do you know any songs, mia bellezza?"

"Yeah," Soot propped herself up on her elbows. "Jellicles are famous for singing and dancing,"

Joan fiddled with a small shell and gazed at the fire. "I've never really tried before," she said finally. "Not any real songs, anyway,"

"It's not something we can teach you," Plato said with a smile. "You already know how."

Joan was silent for a moment longer, and then she took a deep breath. "_Imagine there's no heaven. It's easy if you try. No hell below us, above us only sky... Imagine all the people living for today... Imagine there's no countries_," she sang. "_It isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too_," Everyone was smiling now, loving the sweet sound of Joan's voice. "_Imagine all the people living life in peace_," She turned to her dad, who joined in.

"_You may say I'm a dreamer_," Plato sang. He lifted Joan's chin and she smiled. Electra found herself humming along in harmony with Victoria, and Fenna and Soot were even joining in. "_But I'm not the only one. I hope someday you will join us, then the world with live as one."_

"_Imagine no possessions," _Electra turned to see Soot blushing as she sang. "_I wonder if you can," _She nudged Fenna, who joined in. "_No need for greed or hunger; a brotherhood of man,"_

Electra sang with them, feeling the music flow through her as naturally as breath or blood. "_Imagine all the people,"_ Mahra, Victoria, Raul, and Sahara were also singing, and had joined paws with each other. "_Sharing all the world,"_

"_You may say I'm a dreamer,"_ Joan sang alone. _"But I'm not the only one,"_

Electra held out her paw for Joan's as she sang along. "_I hope someday you will join us,"_

"_Then the world will live as one,_" Everyone applauded as they finished together, and Electra was glad for the chance to sing; one small bit of home in this foreign place.

* * *

Jemima and Etcetera curled up in Jemima's den, chatting about their kitten-hood memories. They were having a sort of slumber-party since Tumble was on night patrol and Etcetera would be lonely in their den for the night.

"Do you remember that day we played truth or dare?" Etcetera asked.

"Which one?"

The two queens were silent for a beat, and then burst out laughing. Jemima grinned. "We've played it so many times, they all just blur together,"

"I know, right?" Cettie sighed. "I was actually referring to the game when we tried to get Electra to tell us her crush."

"Oh, that one," Jemima arched her back. "As I recall, she avoided us for the rest of the day."

"Did she ever answer the question?" Etcetera squinted, trying to remember. Jemima shook her head.

"We couldn't get it out of her," she said. "She mumbled something we couldn't understand and ran off as soon as the game was over. Now that I think on it," Jemima tapped her chin. "She had a tendency to do that whenever she got embarrassed about something,"

"Maybe she just wanted to be alone?" Etcetera suggested. They both shrugged.

"Whatever the case, we're definitely going to play it when they get back," Jemima said firmly. Etcetera nodded, smiling.

"And by then, you and Misto will be hitched," she nudged Jemima playfully. "We'll have little kittens running around here again,"

"You know who you sound like?" Jemima teased. "Jellylorum, she always talked about kittens like that. Speaking of which," she sobered up a bit. "Any luck yet?"

Etcetera's face fell, and she immediately began fiddling with her claws. "No," she mumbled. "I'm beginning to think something's wrong with me,"

"Don't say that!" Jemima said sharply. "There is nothing wrong with you!"

"Then why hasn't anything changed?" Etcetera demanded. "Tumble and I, we want to start a family, but—" her voice broke off with a sob, and Jemima regretted bringing up the subject. Jemima pulled herself next to her friend and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"Things will get better," Jemima said softly. "Just you wait and see,"

Etcetera didn't answer; she was sobbing quietly into her paws. Jemima tried to think of a way to make her feel better, but nothing came to mind… at least for her to say. Jemima smiled to herself and began to sing.

_Smile, though your heart is aching,  
Smile, even though it's breaking__  
__When there are clouds in the sky__  
__You'll get by..._

_If you smile__  
__With your fear and sorrow__  
__Smile and maybe tomorrow__  
__You'll find that life is still worthwhile__  
__If you just..._

_Light up your face with gladness__  
__Hide every trace of sadness__  
__Although a tear may be ever so near__  
__That's the time you must keep on trying__  
__Smile, what's the use of crying__  
__You'll find that life is still worthwhile__  
__If you just..._

_Smile, though your heart is aching__  
__Smile, even though it's breaking__  
__When there are clouds in the sky__  
__You'll get by..._

_If you smile__  
__Through your fear and sorrow__  
__Smile and maybe tomorrow__  
__You'll find that life is still worthwhile__  
__If you just smile..._

_That's the time you must keep on trying__  
__Smile, what's the use of crying__  
__You'll find that life is still worthwhile__  
__If you just smile_

Etcetera was asleep now, with her head on Jemima's shoulder. When the small calico stole a glance at her friend's face, she was happy to see the faintest of smiles gracing Etcetera's features. A soft knock at the entrance of the den made Jemima look up, and she saw Mistoffelees standing there, carrying an extra blanket.

"I was just checking to see if you wanted this," he said, holding the blanket out. Jemima smiled.

"Yes," she said. "Please and thank you,"

Misto stepped in and carefully draped the blanket over the two queen's shoulders, and sat next to Jemima. "You going to be okay for the night?"

"Misto," Jemima gave an exasperated sigh. "I'm perfectly fine, thank you," she kissed his cheek. "I just want you to get enough sleep. You haven't fully recovered from all those treatments you were giving Joan."

"Speaking of her," Misto smiled. "Layla was talking to her sister and told me that the sea air is doing wonders for Joan. A few nights ago, she led the group in a song, and she's relearned how to walk, and is now learning how to swim."

"A cat swimming?" Jemima scoffed. "Sounds a little strange, but if it means Joan is getting better, I'm all for it."

"Yeah," Misto stared off into the distance and yawned. "Well, if you don't need anything else, I'm off to my den."

"There is one thing," Jemima said quickly. Misto looked at her, waiting for an answer. She smiled. "Kiss me good night?"

Mistoffelees smiled and complied, absolutely loving the thumping his heart made whenever he kissed Jemima. He sighed when they pulled apart, and pressed his forehead against hers.

"I love you," he murmured.

"I love you, too," Jemima whispered back. She watched with lidded eyes as he left the den, and soon she was asleep, dreaming of her love.

* * *

**The songs are Imagine by John Lennon, and Smile by Michael Jackson. Two of my all-time favorite pick-me-up songs, I just had to put them in!**


	15. Chapter 15

Early one morning, Electra rose to go for a walk. It was mid-January, and Electra had yet to watch the sunrise on the water. As she walked along the waterline, she ran through the Italian she'd learned while there. Raul, Sahara, and Nina had all taught her a lot, and now she could speak whole conversations—albeit they were choppy—with those three. She also spoke regularly with Soot and Fenna, who were also still learning the language. She liked talking with them more, because they were on her level, and she wasn't corrected as much.

Electra was suddenly aware of the sound of paws on sand—she'd grown accustomed to hearing it, instead of on hard ground like back at the junkyard. She turned around to see Raul padding towards her, yawning from sleep. **[The following conversation is in Italian until I say stop. I'm doing you all a favor by translating it into English.]**

"Good morning, Electra," Raul called when he saw her.

"Good morning," Electra answered. "Do you always get up this early?"

"No," Raul chuckled. "But I noticed you looked troubled when you left earlier, and wanted to see if anything was wrong."

"I'm not troubled," Electra defended. But the look on Raul's face told her he knew she was lying. She sighed. "I miss home. This place is beautiful, but I miss my friends back home."

"You see them every week," Raul pointed out. Fenna and Layla had worked out a system when the cats could talk to each other by the mental link, and they had progressed so far they could project mental images so it seemed they were sitting face-to-face.

"Yes, but it's not the same," Electra frowned. "I like talking to them that way, but I want to be able to do it without Fenna sitting in front of me," She sighed. "I just miss them…"

"Do you feel like you need a distraction?" Raul said as he sat next to her. Electra blushed deeply as his tail brushed against her back.

Electra kept her eyes on her paws. She definitely had strong feelings for Raul. Whether they were romantic or not, she didn't know. _Only one way to find out,_ she thought. Before she could open her mouth, Raul sighed.

"You will be leaving once spring comes," he said. "You can see your friends then."

"It seems like such a long time away," Electra noted.

"But it can pass in such a short time," Raul said.

Electra stayed quiet, mulling over the last few weeks. Jemima and Mistoffelees were getting impatient for the ball, but she knew they wouldn't try anything; they were both very strict rule-followers. Fenna and Soot were both unhappy about the idea that Raul preferred Electra, and a small part of her wished she didn't get so much attention from the tom.

A melody started playing, unbidden, in her mind, and Electra knew better than to let it be. She opened her mouth and started singing along **[in English]** to the music.

"_Don't know much about your life.  
Don't know much about your world, but  
Don't want to be alone tonight,  
On this planet they call earth."_

Raul looked at her curiously; he hadn't expected her to start singing. Electra kept going, closing her eyes as she continued.

__

"You don't know about my past, and  
I don't have a future figured out.  
And maybe this is going too fast.  
And maybe it's not meant to last,

_But what do you say to taking chances,  
What do you say to jumping off the edge?  
Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,  
What do you say,  
What do you say?" _

Raul pulled an arm around Electra's shoulders, and she leaned into him. **[in Italian]**Raul smiled at her. "You really do have a beautiful voice, Electra," he sighed. "I wish I could hear the music like you do."

"It's just something that I've always known," Electra said. "All Jellicles have blood made from song and dance. At least," she laughed. "That's what Jennyanydots tells us as kittens."

"Finish the song, please," Raul requested. Electra smiled and obliged.

__

"I just want to start again,  
And maybe you could show me how to try,  
And maybe you could take me in,  
Somewhere underneath your skin?

What do you say to taking chances,  
What do you say to jumping off the edge?

Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,  
What do you say,  
What do you say?

And I had my heart beating down,  
But I always come back for more, yeah.  
There's nothing like love to pull you up,  
When you're laying down on the floor there.  
So talk to me, talk to me,  
Like lovers do.  
Yeah walk with me, walk with me,  
Like lovers do,  
Like lovers do.

What do you say to taking chances,  
What do you say to jumping off the edge?  
Never knowing if there's solid ground below  
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,  
What do you say,  
What do you say?

_Don't know much about your life  
And I don't know much about your world."_

Raul was silent for a long while after Electra finished singing. While they sat in peaceful serenity, the sun slipped above the horizon, bathing everything in a piercing golden light.

"The last thing I want," Raul said. "Is for you to be alone in this world," He turned to her his eyes glowing in the morning sun. "If what you want is to be with someone, I want you to know I am first in line."

Electra considered this, and lifted a corner of her mouth. "Thank you," she said. Stretching up, she planted a kiss on his cheek and nuzzled his neck. Once upon a time, she would have liked being in this position with Mistoffelees, but he was getting ready to have a mate, and she was pretty sure her strong feelings for Raul were more than just friendship.

"We should probably go back for breakfast," Raul suggested. It was only then that Electra noticed how famished she was. She laughed and nodded, and the two of them walked side-by-side back to the fire pit where everyone gathered for meals. **[and now in English…]**

When they got there, they found Nina talking to a burly tom, one Electra didn't recognize… but he seemed to be making Nina uncomfortable. She kept glancing along the beach and when she saw Electra, her eyes widened. The tom noticed this and turned around.

"I don't think you introduced these two to me yet, Nina," he said as he padded towards Electra and Raul.

"I'm Electra and this is Raul," she said politely. The tom stopped and eyed her carefully.

"Harris," he said slowly. He turned back to Nina with—if Electra wasn't mistaken—anger in his eyes. "You told me both of them died!"

"No, I told you Brom died," Nina growled. "I said I didn't know what happened to Electra."

"And why is that? Or should I ask her?" Harris demanded. He turned to Electra before Nina could say anything. "Why didn't you grow up with you mother?"

Electra looked from her mom to Harris, wondering why in Heaviside he was poking around in her past like he was. "I grew up with the Jellicles because Nina couldn't take care of me," she explained. This only seemed to make Harris angrier.

"Why did you want kits then," he growled. "If you couldn't take care of them?"

Nina didn't say anything. She only scowled at the nosy tom. Finally she opened her mouth. "Perhaps you should explain to your daughter why _you _were never there for her."

Electra stared at Harris. He was her _father? _She'd never really thought about having one, because she didn't have any memories of him. Now that she thought about it, she'd grown up thinking she didn't _have _a father. What Nina said echoed through her mind. "Yeah," she lifted her chin. "Why weren't you there? I don't remember you at all."

Harris sighed. "I think you and I need to walk."

* * *

They walked along the beach, with Harris talking and Electra listening. "I visited every day after you were born," he said. "But your eyes weren't open yet, so you wouldn't remember seeing me. One day, I was taken into the animal shelter, picked up off the street for not having a collar. When I finally got out, Nina was alone and mourning. Your brother was dead, and you were nowhere to be seen. I figured when she said 'gone' she'd meant you'd died too, so I didn't press the matter."

He paused from talking, probably expecting some sort of response. However, Electra stayed silent, mulling the information over in her head. The silence wasn't uncomfortable; Electra guessed she'd gotten her strong silence from her father.

"What was Brom like?"

Harris glanced at Electra, caught off-guard by the question. He gained a distant look on his face. "He was full of spirit," he said. "He was a lot smaller than you, and I guess that's why he didn't stick around," Harris chuckled. "He also got into a lot of trouble. He opened his eyes long before you did, and would roam around Nina's human house and make all sorts of messes. I don't think there was a day when I didn't have to get him out of some dangerous situation."

Electra nodded, wondering if she could remember her brother if she tried hard enough. Harris looked at her. "Ellie, I know I haven't been the best of dads," he said solemnly. "But I can be if you will let me."

She thought about this for a moment. "Would you come back to the Junkyard and live with the Jellicles come spring?"

Harris smiled. "If it means I get to stay with my little girl," he playfully grabbed her shoulders and started tickling her.

**Erm… I'm beginning to cringe as I plan out the plot in my head… I wish it didn't have to happen, but some things just can't be avoided. Also, I think the song is by Celine Dion (however you spell it...)**


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm doing something a little different this chapter—I'm starting in the junkyard, and with the activities there. This is the chapter I'm cringing about.**

Jemima strolled along the tall wooden fence on the outside of the junkyard, coming back from a nice walk in the park with Etcetera. She'd gone home early because she'd gotten sick, but Jemima chose to stay for a little longer to enjoy the rare moments to herself. She really only had one thing on her mind; the single most important tom in her life, the one who could take her breath away. All at once, she stopped, staring hard into the gathering darkness. If she wasn't mistaken, he was walking towards her.

A grin splitting her face, Jemima ran towards him, giggling as he caught her up in a hug and spun her around. She felt… _different_ when she was with him, and she proved so by kissing him passionately.

Pouncival chuckled. "You certainly have a lot of energy today," he noted.

Jemima flicked his nose. "What do you expect?" she teased. "I've been stuck in the junkyard for several days now, helping Jenny. How would you act the first time you got a break in five days?"

Pouncival looked at her oddly. "I would tell the one I was engaged to what I was really up to."

Jemima looked away, frowning. "I don't want to hurt him, Pounce," she muttered. Her previous energy and mood vanished, and she was the shy queen she'd always been.

"Jem," Pouncival lifted her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. "I love you, but if this is going to work, you need to call things off with Misto. The last thing I want is to lose him as a friend, but if things keep going the way they are, and he finds out on his own, the results aren't going to be pretty."

Jemima let her head fall against Pouncival's shoulder. She just wasn't brave enough (she thought) to tell Misto that it had all been a mistake, that he'd only been her first crush and that she really belonged with Pouncival. She knew what heartbreak felt like, and she didn't want anyone else to ever feel that because of her. Pounce wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"When you go back inside tonight, will you tell him?" he asked softly. "Please?"

"Yeah," Jemima drew in a shaky breath, swearing to herself that she would. "Will you…" she hoped Pounce would understand the question.

He kissed her cheek. "I'll be waiting for you by the front gate," he said. "I was just on my way there for night watch."

Jemima nodded, and watched him leave. She reflected on the last few weeks, wondering when exactly her interest changed. She couldn't pin down an exact date, but it was possibly sometime in early January when her heart turned. That was almost a whole month ago, and she hadn't had the guts to tell Mistoffelees. She slowly made her way along the fence, headed towards a small gap in the planks where anyone could easily enter—of course, it was well hidden, and only Jellicles knew how to find it among the thorny bushes.

On her way there, a dark shape pulled itself out of an impossibly small pipe. She froze for two reasons; she realized it was Mistoffelees, and that he had red eyes and tracks from tears on his face. He drew himself up and started off from the junkyard, but stopped when he realized Jemima was watching him.

"Hey, Jem," he said. He held his arms up, expecting her to run into them. Jemima couldn't do anything else; she felt so bad for him. He rubbed her back as they hugged, and Jemima couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. Misto sighed. "You missed talking to the others in France," he said. "Layla projected the images somehow…" he shook his head, baffled. "I don't get half the things they do,"

"Is that why you're upset?" Jemima asked.

"Well," Misto swallowed. "It was just some news from Ell—Electra." Jemima could tell he was having trouble getting this out. "She said she and Raul are in… a relationship, and that she's considering staying in France."

Jemima drew back, narrowing her eyes. "Normally, that wouldn't get this kind of reaction from you," she accused. "You would, at the most, be sad that she _might_ stay in another country. You'd probably try to talk her out of it, but you wouldn't normally cry over something like this," she studied his face for a moment. "What's really going on?"

"I'll tell you," Misto said slowly. "If you tell me about you and Pouncival."

Jemima's blood ran cold. "Who told you that?"

The corner of Misto's mouth twitched. "You did, just now," He sat against the fence. "So, how long have you two been seeing each other?"

Jemima remained standing; though, if she was asked to, she didn't think she'd be able to move at all. "I was going to tell you, Misto, I swear—"

"It's alright, Jem," Misto interrupted. "And I would prefer you didn't swear. To tell you the truth, I only asked you out in the first place because El—someone else told me to." He patted the ground next to him, and Jemima slowly lowered herself onto the cold hard ground. "I wanted to make you happy, and I thought that meant being your mate. But it seems I was wrong," he held up his paws to prevent Jemima from interrupting. "And if you're happier with Pouncival, and I was just a crush, then I won't argue."

Jemima's jaw went slack as she digested what Mistoffelees had said. "Was it Electra?"

Misto pointedly looked away. "No," he said a little too quickly. Jemima raised an eyebrow.

"You aren't sad that she's thinking of staying in France," she confirmed. "You're sad that Electra's in love with someone other than you."

Misto held it together for about half a second, then he was sobbing against Jemima's shoulder. All Jemima could do was pat his shoulder and wait for him to stop. "I want to go there and convince her to change her mind," he choked out. "But I don't know how to get there, and by the time I get there she could be mated to him." That was all he managed to say before his talking dissolved into inane babble and sobs. The most coherent word Jemima caught was 'Electra', and soon enough Misto had cried himself to sleep.

* * *

Electra, Victoria, Soot, and Fenna were walking along the beach with Joan stumbling ahead. She was practically sleeping on her feet, but she refused to be carried. After yet another yawn, she turned back to look at the four queens walking behind her.

"How long until we get there?" she asked.

Victoria darted forward and caught her as she was about to fall sideways. "If we keep going, we'll get there by the morning, but we need to rest for the night. We'll get there about noon tomorrow."

"But I'm not tired!" Joan protested. Even so, she was closing her eyes and falling asleep in Victoria's arms. Soon enough she was snoring away and snuggling closer to her mother. Victoria smiled softly at Joan.

"You know, it's hard sometimes to remember just how old she is," Soot said as she settled into the sand. "She acts like a young kitten most of the time."

"But she's almost a teenager," Electra pointed out. "It's weird to think that we're getting older, and that we aren't kits anymore."

"Yeah," Victoria said. "It seems just yesterday when we were free of the burdens of adult life."

"I don't know how you guys grew up," Fenna said. "But I've been a housecat all my life so going outside was a treat for me and Layla."

"You've been to France before," Soot said.

"Yeah, but this is only my second vacation of sorts," Fenna said. "I stayed inside my human home for the rest of the time."

"We grew up living in the junkyard," Electra said. "Some went to live with human families some of the time, but for the most part we stay with the tribe."

"Our tribe is our family," Victoria said. "Misto and I were taken in before our eyes were even open, and we've always considered Demeter and Munkustrap our parents."

"You never called them that," Electra pointed out.

Victoria shrugged. "It's the thought that counts," she said.

Soot smiled. "I wish I grew up in a large tribe like you guys. I didn't leave my house until I was about six months old, and because of that I didn't have any friends as a kitten."

"I can't imagine what that's like," Victoria shook her head. "When we were kittens, we would go off just the four of us—meaning me, Jemima, Etcetera, and Electra—and have little slumber parties. Sometimes Misto would come and do little light shows for us while he practiced his magic," she smiled as she gained a distant look in her eyes, remembering the 'good old times'. "We'd always fall asleep before he got done, though, and I think it made him a bit sad."

"What makes you think that?" Fenna asked.

"Well, he'd always disappear for the whole day the next day," Victoria said. "I tried following him once, but I think he teleported."

Electra blushed slightly. She knew exactly where he went on those days when he felt sad. She would go with him to their special place in the long grass, and they would do whatever the mood inspired them to do. Victoria noticed Electra's sudden shy silence, and she smiled slyly.

"You know what he did, don't you?" she asked. Soot and Fenna watched her, analyzing her actions.

"Aw, look, she's blushing!" Fenna laughed. "Not only did she know where he went,"

"But they went there _together,_" Soot cooed. She grinned at Victoria. "I think someone has a crush on your brother, Vic,"

"Or had," Fenna said. "Unless you don't like Raul like that anymore?" she added hopefully.

"Had," Electra said quickly. "He's with Jemima now, and they're going to be mates."

"Ah," Fenna grimaced. "That is where you're wrong…" Electra looked at her sharply, and Fenna continued. "She and Misto broke up, and Jemima is with Pouncival now."

Electra frowned at her paws. "How did it happen?" she asked finally.

Fenna tilted her head to the side. "Jemima admitted it was just a crush and went with Pouncival. I know nothing else because Layla doesn't."

Electra felt like her mind was on fire. _What really happened? I swear Jem was in love with him…_ She looked sharply at Fenna, narrowing her eyes. "Are you making this up just so you can be with Raul?"

Fenna scoffed. "I don't lie," she said pointedly. "And wouldn't you just _love_ for your first love to come flying back to you and take you in his arms and—"

"That's enough, Fenna," Victoria said, coming to her friend's rescue. "I think it's time we went to bed."

"Yes, mum," Fenna muttered. But she turned over and closed her eyes. Soot shook her head and curled up, and soon the two of them were asleep. Victoria gave Electra a brief hug before she curled up around Joan. Electra waited until she was sure everyone else was asleep before she padded up to the edge of the beach where patches of grass grew. She really didn't like sleeping in the sand, and that was one reason she wanted to get back to the junkyard.

In truth, she'd only thought about staying in France because… _Everlasting Cat! _Electra thought with despair. _I only wanted to stay because I thought Misto was with Jem! Now what?_ She stared up at the stars, hoping Everlasting Cat heard her question and would answer soon. She'd never really tried praying to their deity before, but if ever there was a time, now was it. With one last glance to the sky, Electra curled up and closed her eyes, praying for a dreamless sleep. Of course, not everyone gets what they wish for.

_I sat up sharply, looking around. I thought I'd fallen asleep in France, but I was sitting on the hill in the tall grass. It wasn't winter, either. What in Heaviside was going on? I stood up, trying to make better sense of what was going on. A figure moved towards me in the distance, and suddenly that one figure was three. The one walking in front seemed slightly clumsy compared to the other two, and for some reason, they were familiar to me._

_With a start I realized the first figure was Mistoffelees, and the other two were Coricopat and Tantomile. I tried to move forward, but my paws seemed glued to the ground. All I could do was wait for them to get closer._

_Misto stopped just out of my reach, with the twins a bit further behind. He stared at me for a long while, not saying anything. I couldn't think of anything to say, not that I had the willpower… I waited for Mistoffelees to speak._

"_It's good to see you, Ellie," Misto said finally. I half-smiled at him. I still couldn't make sense of all this. Misto sighed. "I'm only doing this for one reason," he said. "Cori and Tanto agreed to help me, and we're getting help from Layla as well," he looked down for a moment. "Ellie, I don't want you to stay in France," he said simply._

_I opened my mouth, finding myself asking, "Why?" Misto smiled at me, and I felt my heart give a faint flutter._

"_Because then I would be very lonely," he shrugged. "It was a mistake to leave you that day. I should have refused to ask Jemima out, and I should have stayed with you."_

"_I don't understand," I said. What was Misto telling me?_

"_I love you," he blurted out. I stared at him, his words echoing through my head. "I want you to come back as soon as you can,"_

_I think my mouth was hanging open, but I didn't care. Did Mistoffelees just say he loved me? But I was with Raul! Didn't that mean anything to him? I thought about the Italian tom, and realized that what we had was simply a 'vacation fling', and it would be gone as soon as the spring came. I opened my mouth to say so, but Tantomile and Coricopat came forward and spoke._

"_Mistoffelees, she needs to wake up now."_

"_She cannot linger in the dream realm any longer, as her company is needed."_

_Misto nodded, and as the twins turned to leave he gave me one last glance. "I'll see you at the ball," he said. _

Electra opened her eyes, wondering if her dream had all been a fantasy of her heart, or if Misto really did love her. Either way, she was going to call things off with Raul as soon as they got back to the den. She sat up and started grooming herself when she noticed there were only two figures where they'd stopped for the night. Electra looked around for Victoria and Joan, and saw them a ways up the beach, with Victoria gently rocking back and forth.

Electra padded over to the white queen, and froze when she heard muffled—but nonetheless violent—sobs. She approached more slowly, trying to make sense of the scene. Victoria was clutching Joan close to her, staring off across the ocean with tears flowing unchecked down her face. Her eyes were red and puffy, suggesting she'd been crying for a good while.

"Vic?" Electra asked cautiously.

"She wanted to see the sunrise," Victoria choked out. "So I brought her where we could watch it over the water," she nodded towards the large lighthouse that had blocked their view of the rising sun in their previous spot. "She was looking up at the stars and asked me if Everlasting Cat was a good person. I told her yes, She is, and that she loves each and every one of us," Victoria gasped and clenched her teeth, and Electra forced herself to keep her eyes on Victoria's face; the way she was talking made her scared to look at Joan. "Then the sun barely came over the horizon, and Joan told me she l-loved me, and Plato, and that she would watch us from Heaviside…" Victoria couldn't say any more, she was crying too hard. It was then that Electra couldn't stand it anymore; she looked down at the little rusty queen.

Her eyes were closed, and she was curled up tight in Victoria's lap, and despite Victoria's tight grip Electra could clearly see the little queen wasn't breathing. Tears overflowed in Electra's eyes, and all she could do was stare and cry… she didn't dare blink, for fear that Joan's little body would disappear and she would be gone for good. Electra pulled her arms around her friend, and the two of them sobbed together. They didn't move when Fenna and Soot came to join them, and none of them did anything until late morning when Raul, Sahara, and Plato came looking for them.

* * *

That evening, nobody was in the mood to do anything. They sat together on the beach around the empty bonfire pit, not touching their food and not talking. Plato and Victoria seemed numb to the rest of them, and they didn't respond to anything. Fenna had decided against relaying the news to her sister, as it seemed the kind of news to give in person.

All thoughts of Electra's dream were pushed from her mind as she pictured Joan's final resting place in her mind. They buried her on a hill where, as Victoria had put it, she could "watch as many sunrises as she wanted." It really was a beautiful place, with the promise not to be disturbed by humans. Of course, Joan's parents refused to leave the beach now, and Electra alone would have to bear the news to the Jellicle tribe.

Though she was in no mood to sing, Electra felt a melancholy tune rising in herself, and she opened her mouth to let it out.

"_They shine a little brighter, they feel a little more_

_They touch your life in ways no one has ever done before_

_They love a little stronger, they live to give their best_

_They make our lives so blest, so why do they go so soon?_

_The ones with souls so beautiful_

_I heard someone say-_

"_There must be Borrowed Angels, here in this life_

_They come along, into this world, and make this world bright_

_But they can't stay forever_

_Cause they're heaven sent_

_And sometimes, heaven needs them back again_

"_They reach a little deeper, they see what's in your soul_

_And even when they leave you know, you'll never let them go_

_The world's a little richer, just cause they came along_

_Their love goes on and on, so why do they go so soon?_

_The ones with souls so beautiful. I heard someone say-_

"_There must be Borrowed Angels, here in this life_

_They come along, into this world, and make this world bright_

_They can't stay forever, cause they're heaven sent_

_And sometimes, heaven needs them back again_

"_How else can you explain why they're here and not here to stay?_

_I believe there must be, must be_

"_Borrowed Angels, here in this life_

_They come along, into this world, and make this world bright_

_But they can't stay forever, cause there heaven sent_

_And sometimes heaven needs them back again._

_And sometimes heaven needs them back again."

* * *

_

**Insanemistosingsmore: This does not make me a hypocrite. I did not enjoy this one bit.**

**Also, the song is Borrowed Angels by Kristin Chenoweth (LOVE that woman!)**


	17. Chapter 17

**I swear I have a really good reason for not updating this in so long. I'm working on something big. It's there, open in another window of Microsoft Word. Can't see it? Sucks to be you. **

**This is seriously my favorite brainchild I have ever given birth to. Never before have I spent hours upon hours thinking up characterizations, wasted class time writing plot points, lied awake on countless sleepless nights killing myself if I even got one detail wrong. And it's going to be published. The guy I've been talking to says I should get it done by summer (June-July) and, with all of you as my witnesses, I will GET IT DONE.**

**I will not tell you the name of the novel, just a few important details to look out for when you pick up new reading material come summer; One, it is a three-some series. Two, I cannot get over how many PLOT TWISTS there are! Three, the bad guy looks like a good guy, but lots of the good guys know he's the bad guy when really he's just in need of serious mental help. Last, the character everyone is certain to fall in love with will die. There's no way around it. (Of course there's a few of those, I'm just not saying which one. :evil laughter: )**

**Without further ado, I give you the final chapter of **_**Better Now?**_

_****_

_**

* * *

**_

Electra was falling asleep on her feet. She was walking slowly, her mind running through the events of the past few days. Victoria and Plato couldn't bear to leave Joan in France, so they decided to stay with Sahara and Raul. Once Electra, Nina and Harris, Fenna, Soot, and Mahra had reached Britain, Electra insisted the others go ahead and let her walk alone. They'd all returned to their respective homes, and now Electra could see the junkyard ahead.

Over and over, Electra could hear Mistoffelees saying 'I love you,' and over and over, Electra told herself it was just the dream of a wishful thinker. She really had nothing left in the Junkyard, but it was the only place she really called home. Maybe she would become as Grizabella had been—in the Junkyard, but not really part of the tribe.

Overhead, dark rainclouds were gathering, and a painful memory flashed through Electra's head—a single night of unbridled passion in a cardboard box during a rainstorm. Electra shivered and tried (and failed) to banish the memory. Misto would not be waiting for her in the junkyard. For all she knew, he was mated to Jemima by now.

Raul had tried to convince her to stay in France, but somehow the idea didn't sit well with her. Yes, she loved the beautiful ocean view and the salty air on her face, but it was too… _open._ Electra longed for the privacy of an old boot, or perhaps an upturned crate that provided both silence and privacy.

She was probably twenty feet from the gate of the Junkyard when she started feeling dizzy. Before she could steady herself, the ground rushed up to meet her and Electra blacked out.

* * *

The first thing Electra was aware of when she came to was the smell of roasting fish. _Am I still in France? _She wondered. But no, there was a definite tang of herbs over the aroma of fish. Just the smell of it made Electra's mouth water. She swallowed, coughing when she discovered her throat was incredibly dry. She opened her eyes and sat up, blinking around in the morning light.

She was in Jennyanydots' medical den, covered in a thick blanket. From outside came the crackle of a fire, accompanied by the sizzle of juice dripping onto said fire. Electra, too hungry to do anything else, pushed the blanket off of her legs and padded out of the den. She expected to see Jellylorum or Jennyanydots sitting by the fire and preparing the food, but Electra's breath caught in her throat when she recognized the black and white coat of Mistoffelees.

_Waiting for me…?_

Misto looked up, his face lighting up with a smile. "You're finally awake!" He cried. He dropped his fish into the fire and caught Electra up in a tight hug, as well as planting a kiss on her cheek. "I was wondering when you would,"

"Wait," Electra pulled away from the surprise hug. "How long was I out?"

"About two days," Misto shrugged. "You missed a really big rainstorm."

Electra stared at him for a moment, trying to understand why he was so eager that she was awake. She narrowed her eyes a little at him, making Misto back away a bit.

"Ellie…" he said slowly. "Is something wrong?"

Electra felt like an immense wave was building up inside of her. She scowled, and suddenly she couldn't hold back; she started to yell at him… in Italian.

**[if you really want to know what she's saying, skip on over to a translator]**

"_Mistoffelees, tu sei il più grande idiota del mondo! Ho fatto un sogno dove mi hai detto che mi amava, ma se davvero non si sarebbe nemmeno chiesto di uscire Jemima, mi avreste chiesto! Perché non si può ottenere attraverso quella testa dura di tuo che ti amo e lo amerò sempre? Non avrebbe nemmeno lasciarmi andare via per la Francia, se davvero mi amava!"_

Electra stood there, fuming, waiting for some kind of reaction out of Mistoffelees. He was staring at her, looking slightly terrified, when Electra realized he didn't know Italian. She let out a long breath, her lips pressed into a fine line. They were both silent for several minutes, before Mistoffelees spoke.

"Well," he started cautiously. "It's obvious that you feel strongly about something… However I cannot help you if I don't know what you're saying. So… English, please?"

Electra smirked. "No, thank you. I quite like being able to talk without you understanding," and she was off again, ranting in Italian about her trip to France and how it had made her understand that she wanted Misto for her own, and how she would be satisfied with no other tom (her experience with Raul had taught her that). She was going for a good minute before Misto silenced her with a kiss.

"Electra," he said when the broke apart. "I love you. I never should have asked Jemima out, nor should I have let you leave for France. Will you ever forgive me for being so stupid?"

Electra raised her eyebrows. He'd just repeated what she had been yelling in Italian moments ago. "Aren't you engaged to Jemima?" she asked.

"No," Misto scoffed. "She's with Pouncival now."

Electra pretended to consider this. "I'll forgive you…" she began. Misto's face lit up again. "But only if you prove you're really sorry."

Misto lost his hopeful expression. "What do you want me to do?"

Electra grinned. "I'll let you figure that part out."

Without another word, she went off to find Jemima and Etcetera.

* * *

The three of them were gathered in Jemima's den, along with Rumpleteazer and Tantomile. They were playing Truth or Dare, and it was Jemima's turn.

"Cettie," she asked. "Truth or Dare?"

Etcetera thought about it for a moment. "Dare," she said with a grin.

Jemima thought about all the possible things she could have Etcetera do. "I want you to dress in one of Jenny's cockroach costumes for a whole day."

"What?" Etcetera huffed. "Those things are ridiculous!"

"Accept the dare or lose a point," Jemima sang.

"Fine," Etcetera growled; she was far behind on points already. "Electra, truth or dare?"

"Truth," Electra said. She was afraid to even think of what sort of dares Cettie could come up with in her present mood.

"Why do you keep mumbling in Italian?"

Everyone turned to look at her; it was clear that Electra's incessant mumbling had not gone unnoticed.

"Because I like talking to myself without everyone knowing what I'm talking about."

"Fair enough," Etcetera grumbled. It was now Electra's turn, but before she could decide who to ask, there was a knock at the door of the den. It was Mistoffelees.

"Can I borrow Electra for a moment?" he asked.

Electra rolled her eyes slightly, but passed her turn on to Rumpleteazer and left with the tuxedo tom.

She didn't ask questions; she only wondered at what he had been up to in the two hours they'd been apart. He was leading her through the winding piles in the Junkyard, not once mentioning where they were going. Finally, they came to a gap in the wooden fence. Misto held aside a bit of loose planking and allowed Electra to go through first.

It was only when Misto pulled a blindfold out of nowhere that Electra got really curious.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked suspiciously as he tied the blindfold on her.

"Just a little place I know of," Misto replied. He took her by the paw and led her along, telling her whenever she had to lift her paws higher, or even picking her up and carrying her.

Finally, Misto came to a halt and pulled off the blindfold.

In the warm spring sun, a dazzling sight greeted Electra. They were on a hill covered in flowers of so many different colors that Electra didn't think she could name them all. There was a blanket carefully spread with a picnic basket sitting among the bright colors. Electra narrowed her eyes (grinning) at Mistoffelees.

"What's all this for?" She asked.

"I'm trying to convince you to forgive me," he announced. He led her to the blanket and opened the basket, which was filled with all her favorite foods—broiled chicken that was still steaming, a bottle of thick milk, some sweet cakes adorned with sugared flowers—Electra could only guess about where Misto had gotten all the food.

They talked as they ate, Electra telling Misto all about the trip to France. They both sobbed a bit over Joan, but dried their tears for the happy ending when Electra returned home. When they were finished with the food, Misto sat up on his knees and took Electra's paws in his.

"Electra," he began. "I promise to love you for forever, even when we're both in Heaviside. Will you do me the honor of forgiving me of my misdeeds and becoming my mate?"

Electra could only stare. This was the last thing she expected from him, but now that she thought on it, it was also her deepest desire. She smiled slyly.

"Yes, Mistoffelees," Electra answered. "I forgive you, and want nothing more than to be your mate."

Mistoffelees grinned mischievously and pulled Electra toward him, falling back onto the blanket as a light spring breeze swept through the flowers around them. They were kissing again, just as passionately as they had the night of the rainstorm that seemed so long ago. Electra grinned to herself. Yes, she was definitely better now.

**FIN**


End file.
